Time Does Not Always Heal
by sdbcomomomom
Summary: Inspector Lewis and Dr. Hobson must get into DS Hathaway's head to set him free of his demons. If they can not save him who will? Rated T for crime. No sex. No really foul language.
1. Chapter 1

**Time Does Not Always Heal**

**Chapter 1:**

**Inspector Lewis and Chief Superintendent Innocent stood in the hallway looking worriedly at Sargent Hathaway as he sat in the corner of the office tapping a pencil on his teeth. **

"**What is he doing?" Questioned Innocent. "How long has he been this way?"**

**Robbie stared blankly watching his friend. "He needs help," Innocent demanded.**

**Inspector Lewis turned to glare at his boss. "Robbie, if he does not snap out of this ..." She stopped herself from saying anymore. "Just do what you can," Innocent mumbled as she walked away from the worried Inspector.**

**Taking a deep breath, Lewis reached for the door knob, he put off confronting his moody partner long enough. Before he could open the door his mobile began to play the familiar tune set for incoming calls from Dr. Hobson. "No Laura, there's no change," Lewis turned away from the pitiful scene and walk outside to the car park. **

"**What's he doing?" Doctor Hobson questioned Lewis.**

**Lewis rolled his eyes wishing everyone would stop asking him the same questions. "The same thing he's been doing for the past ten days. He's not doing anything, just sitting. Once in a while he will pace and grumble," giving the same answers he gave everyone. **

**Laura thought for a long silent minute, "I've got a plan!" She finally answered. **

**Lewis listened to her plan, a look of terror crossed his face. Lewis checked the mobile making sure he was still talking to the gentle Doctor Hobson. **

"**No, no, no, NO! We can't do that! He will kill us. He will never talk to us again," he groaned. **

**Evilly Laura defended her plan and finally convincing the inspector her plan must be put into action. "We'll do it tonight," she said.**

"**No," Lewis started to refuse.**

"**I SAID," she repeated herself more firmly, "We'll get him tonight. Take James away from here. Away from all the memories. We'll make him forget." Laura repeated her plan. Lewis just sat in his car wishing things never came to this.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Author Notes: I hope you enjoy the first short chapter. I have more chapters, I'm working on cleaning them. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"**Nooooo" the soulless voice of James Hathaway called out in the dark. He thrashed in the bed kicking his legs trying to get away from his night demons. He moaned again. The sweat soaked sheets tangled about his legs. **

**Laura and Robbie stealthy walked into James' room. Lewis' heart ached seeing his friend in so much emotional pain. The room was pungent of stale air and James' labor sleep. "I'm sorryyyyyyy...," begged James. "I'm sorry" he sobbed to his demons.**

"**We can't help him like this," Lewis whispered to his accomplice.**

**Laura grabbed Lewis' arm roughly stopping him from leaving, "We either help him or he continues this downward spiral to his personal Hell."**

"**No not now, not like this," Lewis untangled his arm from hers. "Tomorrow we talk to him." He waved his arm toward James' now still body.**

**Laura glanced at the helpless form laying in the large bed. He looked so much like a small child to her, a small child alone. "Tomorrow morning!" she whispered, turned and stormed out of the room, raced down the stairs and out the door to their waiting car. **

"**Tomorrow or so help me …," She growled at Lewis as he fished the keys out of his pocket**

**-l-l-l-l-**

**Inspector Lewis arrived early in the morning hoping to find his partner at his desk. He only found an empty office. Innocent blocked the door as Lewis turned to exit.**

"**Where is he?" She looked at the Inspector waiting for the excuse. She so much wanted to scream at him, but she was the Chief Superintendent, no yelling. "Well?" she demanded an answer.**

**Not having any answer to give, Lewis pushed past her and dashed out of the building. He wanted to find those answers and more. **

**Lewis called Hobson, "I'm heading over to his house right now!" He snapped at her. **

"**I'll meet you there," she replied as she gathered her medical bag and raced out the door leaving the television on kettle on.**

**-l-l-l-l-**

**Lewis called Hathaway's mobile, "Hathaway ….." Robbie got excited for a brief moment when he heard James' voice only to have his excitement shattered when he realized the voice was the voice mail recording. "Where are ya, man?" he shouted a message to the phone.**

**The drive to Hathaway's house took an eternity. "Idiot drivers. They all should be walking their fat arse's" Dr. Hobson grumbled as she finally arrived. Lewis' car was sitting in the drive next to Hathaway's. "At least his car is here," she said. Only the morning birds singing in the trees heard what Laura said.**

**She notice the front door ajar. "Robert? James?" She called their names out to the empty house. "ROBERT?" She shouted loud enough to be heard upstairs, no answer.**

**-l-l-l-l-**


	3. Chapter 3

**Time Does Not Always Heal**

**Chapter 3**

**-l-l-l-l-**

**She laid naked on the bed, the sheets crumpled provocatively exposing only her beautiful back and the curves of her hips. The crisp white sheets leaving enough covered to arouse any man.**

**The blond woman did not move as James approached the bed slowly and softly. He was afraid to wake her. Holding his breath as he walked closer to the sleeping b...**

"**Mr. Smith!" The doctor startled the man typing at the desk. He yelped and quickly closed the laptop hoping the words would not be lost. **

"**Nurse Hathaway," Smith leaped to his feet and turned to the man standing in the doorway.**

"**My name is not Nurse Hathaway," Doctor Erik Wills corrected his John Doe patient named Smith. "I am Dr. Wills, Mr. Smith."**

**The thin blonde man fumed. He held his head down and slowly inhaled. His jaw tightened and slowly Smith moved toward the doctor. **

"**My name is not Smith," Smith spoke softly at first then raised his head standing to his full height of 6' 3". He towered over the short doctor. **

"**I am Stan King, a famous writer," He growled. "I have written blockbuster movies, award winning shows and bestselling novels. You interrupted my concentration..." Smith continued to rant as Dr. Wills signaled for assistance. **

**Two large orderlies quickly arrived. Both were familiar with this un-named patient. A nurse also arrived, ready to use the filled syringe, she too was painfully familiar with this tall man. **

**The raving man continued to lecture everyone of his accomplishments. He paced the office waving his arms glaring at the growing crowd. Holding a pencil in his hand, he continued to pace the office. Pausing and tapping the pencil onto his teeth, thinking. **

"**Mr. Smith, you need to calm down. We are here to help you," Dr. Wills talked soothingly to the deranged man. "Please sit down and we can talk." Erik Wills slowly approached Smith easing every so gently upon the man hoping not to upset him more.**

**-l-l-l-l-**


	4. Chapter 4

**Time Does Not Always Heal**

**Chapter 4**

**-l-l-l-l-**

**Laura finally found Lewis wondering the woods nearby. "Anything?" she questioned him hopefully.**

**Winded Lewis mopped his brow, "Nothing. Not a damn sign of him." The two worried friends turned to walk defeated back to James' house in hopes to find any answers to their lost friend's whereabouts.**

**The nosy neighbor still sat at the window looking at Laura and Lewis as they slowly walked to the house. Her dog barked continuously. Lewis glanced up and shook his head sadly, "She sits there judging. Why didn't she see more than the direction he went. Old bat!" Lewis mumble. "Search the house, Laura. I'm going to question her, maybe she might have some answers." Lewis leaped the short hedge fence separating the yards and up the back steps of the nosy neighbor's house. The poodle darted in between his leg and through the doggie door. Lewis knock hard on the door, hard enough to jar the windows. **

**The elderly woman opened the window and shouted down to Lewis, "Go away, you've upset Percy." Lewis could see the old woman holding the still barking dog, Percy.**

"**I'm Inspector Lewis from Thames Valley Police, I need to talk to you," He pleaded with her. His neck hurting having to look up trying to convince her to let him.**

**Mrs. O'Malley sat stroking her precious Percy, scowling at the Inspector, "I have nothing else to tell you. Now GO away or I will call the police."**

**Lewis rolled his eye and silently cursed, "Ma'am, I am the police. Now PLEASE open this door before I break it down." He grabbed the door handle and shook it violently.**

**Laura was up stairs in James' bedroom. The linens were laying on the floor beside the bed in a crumple mess. The pillows were on the floor toss in the night by the haunted man, Laura thought. She was turning to leave the room when she heard loud voices outside the window.**

"**Robbie," Laura saw Lewis shaking the door of the neighbor. Laura leaned out the window, "Lewis!" she shouted "Up here!" **

**Coming to his senses, Lewis looked at his hands strangling the door handle. He looked up to Laura than to the frightened old lady. "Sorry," he apologized, then he stepped over the hedge fence and rushed into the house seeking Laura.**

"**What? What did you find?," Lewis questioned Laura as his eyes roamed the messy room. The same room they were in last night. **

"**Nothing. Breaking into that old lady's house is no way to find James" she scolded.**

**He sighed in resignation realizing how stupid he acted. "Have you found anything?," he questioned. Laura shook her head.**

**They searched together. The bathroom was in a similar mess as the bedroom. Wet towels lay discarded on the floor. The trash can held empty bottles of sleeping pills, an empty scotch bottle sat on the edge of the tub. The bath tub was filled with now cold water. Laura reached into the tub to drain the water. "Agghhh!" Laura gasped and quickly pulled her hand from the water. Blood slowly pooled in her palm. Lewis grabbed a towel and placed over her hand. "Something's in the water," she pointed a shaky hand to the tub.**

"**Are you all right," he asked as he slowly moved his hands through the murky cold water. He held up a broken bottle he pulled from the water showing Laura. He then reached in to drain the water, only he found another sharp object. This time Lewis pulled a folded straight razor from the bath water. Horror and fear filled their hearts.**

**-l-l-l-l-**


	5. Chapter 5

**Time Does Not Always Heal**

**Chapter 5**

**Chief Superintendent Innocent walked into Inspector Lewis' and Sargent Hathaway's office closing the door behind her. She closed the blinds to give her more privacy. "You guys give me no choice," she told the detective's empty office. **

**Quickly and methodically Jean searched their desks and file cabinets. She pulled each drawer open and rummage through the papers. She flipped through Lewis' desk calendar, nothing. '_I thought my life was boring'_, she mused. **

**Jean moved to Hathaway's desk, "Now, James, tell me what has been troubling you." She pulled each drawer opened. "This boy is too neat for his own good." The papers in the drawers were neatly stacked, pens and pencils were arranged according to size and color and paperclips were stored in the original boxes. Jean continued her private conversation while she searched. **

"**What have you been up to lately, James?" Jean thumbed through the diary she found tucked away in the top drawer. 8th March was circled and 'Cynthia' was written on the date. "Whose Cynthia? Cynthia...Cyn..." Her eyes grew wide and then she quickly closed her eyes.**

**Jean squeezed her eyes tightly, "Oh James, I'm so sorry..." she whispered. Memories of that day flooded back, a tear escaped.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Lewis drove Laura to the hospital. They sat in silence each afraid to speak, afraid to say what they thought. Finally, Laura could not keep her fear inside, "Just because," she squeaked. Clearing her throat. "He could be with a friend."**

**Lewis glanced in her direction and shook his head, "How's your hand?" he notice how she was holding her bandage hand up. "Does it hurt?"**

"**Not too much. I'll have Daniels take a look and put a proper bandage," a sneaky smile crossed her face as she looked at Lewis. "You make a better cop than you do a medic."**

**Lewis gave her a small smile, "We'll find him. I'll take you back to the hospital then I'm going to Innocents."**

"**She won't do anything until there's a body," Laura grumbled. **

**Lewis narrowed his eyes, "She'll do everything or I will do it without her permission." **

**Lewis dropped Laura at the hospital, before he left her he promised to call as soon as he talked ****to ****Chief Supt. Innocent. Laura leaned over and gave a quick peck on Lewis' cheek. "I'll wait to hear from you." She turned and walked away, Lewis noticed Laura reaching up to wipe her eyes. He then noticed his eyes were tearing.**

**The drive back to his office was long and lonely. Lewis' mind raced with all the 'What If' ****questions. Oh how much he hated those 'IF' questions. How can a small word be so strong and put so much fear into a person. That two letter word can stop an army. That two letter word can stop love, stop ….. life! **

"**DAMN, you James! You could talk to me!" Lewis yelled as he kicked open the car door and slammed it shut. He dashed into the stationed and up the stairs taking two and three steps at a time. People parted as he raced toward Innocent's office, he stopped suddenly in his tracks when he notice the door to his and Hathaway's office closed, the blinds were closed, too. **

**He opened the door slowly, peering in to see who was in the office. Lewis hoped to find his missing partner, but he found Innocent sitting at James' desk crying. **

**Jean sniffed and wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand. She slowly got up from James' chair and gently pushed the chair back in place. "I'm sorry," Jean sighed.**

"**Sorry for what?" Lewis challenged as he entered the office.**

**Startled, "Oh Robbie, I didn't see you."**

"**Sorry for what?" he repeated.**

"**Let's go to my office," Jean notice Lewis' steadfast. "Please!" she gestured toward the door. She looked pleadingly at her friend.**

**-l-l-l-**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Chief Superintendent Innocent motioned for Lewis to sit. He stood still, feet firmly planted for the expected argument he would have with his Chief. "I need to tell you something, something about James." She explained her voice low and full of sorrow.**

**Lewis' heart sank as he sat slowly in the proffered chair . He held his breath, "What about him?" His voice broke with fear.**

**Innocent paced her office searching for the beginning. "Four years ago James made Detective Sargent. I just arrived here as Chief Superintendent." She paused trying to form the correct words. Jean continued to pace, ringing her hands.**

**Lewis' sat watching his Chief sweat as she tortured her hands. '_What is she trying to say? What's happened to James?' _His mind raced with questions.**

"**Four years ago Cynthia Kindly a young PC was murdered by Jimmy Fitzroy. Jimmy Fitzroy was the illegitimate son of American Senator Gerald King and Lady Jane Fitzroy daughter of Lord James Fitzroy, Chancellor of Oxford." She explained.**

**Time was ticking by quickly as Innocent slowly stumbled through her history lesson to Lewis. Lewis rolled his eye and sighed heavily, "Beg your pardon, Ma'am, but where is James?"**

**Innocent stopped her pacing to look at Lewis questioningly, "What?" She asked.**

"**Dr. Hobson and I went over to James' house," now Lewis was the one pacing the office floor. "He wasn't there. The neighbor said he left the house at three in the morning. We searched his house and..." He didn't know if he wanted tell his Chief what they found in the bath water.**

"**James is missing?" Jean murmured disbelieving. "I'm so sorry, Robbie."**

"**Do you know where he is, Ma'am?" Lewis leaned on her desk glaring at Innocent. He wanted answers, he did care who or how he got the answers. "And what does an old murder case have to do with James?"**

**Jean sat with her head in her red hands rubbing her tired eyes. "PC Kindly was James' first murder case." She spoke softly, almost too soft. Lewis had to lean closer to hear. "He was the one to find her." That was all she explained.**

"**I want to send a forensic team to Hathaway's house," he demanded. "I want the woods search behind his house."**

"**Yes, Yes of course," Jean snapped out of her shocked state. "I'll call in the search teams."**

**Surprised, Lewis did not expect to have Innocent to be so willing to search for ****Hathaway. He began to wonder why and what she was not telling him. "Get your men organizes, Lewis, I'll get the ball rolling from my end. Call me with any updates." Back to her usual composed self, Innocent ordered as she picked up the phone to call the search teams. **

**-l-l-l-**

**The clock's bright light illuminated his room shining blindingly into his tired sleep deprived eyes. James tossed and turned kicking the sheets off his bed cursing. He punched his pillows violently in hopes to make them more comfortable, cussing the pillows the whole time. "Oh FUCK IT!" He finally yelled and staggered out of bed. **

**James stomped to the bathroom carrying a half empty bottle of scotch. Wrenching the medicine cabinet open he yanked out a box of Zopiclone sleeping tablets. "You mother fuckers better work," he growled at the package of tablets. He pushed the last few tablets through the foil seal and washed them down with the remaining scotch.**

**Swaying as he stood in front of the now crocked mirror, his bloodshot eyes fell upon the pearl handle straight razor in the cabinet, a razor that once belonged to his grandfather. His eyes filled with tears at the memory of his grandfather and the memory of his death. **

**James grabbed the razor tightly in his hand and stumbled to the tub breaking the empty scotch bottle and dropping his grandfather's razor into the tub, "Shit!" Fumbling around drunkenly he plugged the tub and turn the hot water on. He slow made his way back to the bedroom searching for another bottle to drown his sorrow.**

**Scoring an unopened bottle of scotch, James looked at his prize with troubled eyes. His heart ached, longing for peace, peace without demons of the night. All he wanted was one night of peaceful sleep. Sleep without remembering. Sleep without fear. Sleep without seeing. "You'll help me," James cried as he opened the bottle and took a long deep draw of the raw liquid, burning his throat and settling heavy in his pill filled belly. The tears poured down his hollow cheeks and fell silently onto the hardwood floor as he made his way back to the bathroom locking the door behind him.**

**-l-l-l-**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**The forensic teams were unloading their equipment from the vans when Lewis arrived at Hathaway's house. The street was swarming with SOC teams, police, police dogs, tracking dogs and of course the media. He always wonder how the pesky media manage to arrive to the scene of a crime before the police.**

**Crime scene tape had been placed in front of Hathaway's house, back garden and much of the woods behind the house. He was impressed and touched at the growing number of people involved in the search of his missing partner. **

**Lewis notice Dr. Hobson attempting to wade through the hungry reporters. They were shoving mics in her face shouting questions after questions to her. He could barely hear her response, "No comment." A slew of camera men were walking backwards and sideways filming and hampering her every move. She finally arrived to the safe zone, behind the crime scene tape. **

**With Laura safe, the media's attention instantly turned to Lewis. He quickened his pace to get to the tape before he was surrounded by the vultures, but they were younger and quicker. Several reporters descended on Lewis each asking questions at the same time. Each one stumbling, pushing and shoving elbowing each other to the attention of the Inspector. Each reported had either a camera, digital recorder, mics and who knows what thrust into his face blocking his view.**

**Lewis kept moving forward the best he could. The going was painstakingly slow and annoying, his temper was growing. He was being pushed, shoved, pulled and tugged. The crowd was close, too close, he no longer could move forward, backwards or in any direction. His head was pounding and he was sweating from lack of air in the center of the pushy crowd. **

**Before he knew what was happening he tripped or was pushed and started to fall. But a slender well dressed arm reached through the crowd and steadied him. Lewis then heard a loud voice boom over the crowd, "MOVE BACK! NOW! Let Inspector Lewis pass or you will be arrested for obstructing a POLICE INVESTIGATION!" Chief Inspector Innocent ordered the unruly reporters. **

"**I will have a press release at the station in two hours," she informed, her voice now calmer and less bellowing. The crowd parted begrudgingly allowing Lewis and Innocent to do their work. **

"**Thank you, Ma'am," Lewis thanked Innocent as they walked underneath the crime scene tape a PC was holding up above their heads. He nodded his head in respect toward the senior officers.**

**Innocent ordered the crowd to be moved, using force if necessary, up the block to give the SOC teams more space to work in peace. She looked at Lewis with scrutinizing eyes, wondering if he was up to the task of solving the whereabouts of his Sargent. Lewis looked tired and old, the way she felt. **

"**I have teams searching the woods," Jean filled Lewis in, her voice reflected how she felt. "Were doing a house to house questioning everyone. A team is suiting up to start on James' house, if you like to join them"**

"**Thanks Ma'am," Lewis said with great relief. He started toward Dr. Hobson when he noticed Mrs. O'Malley looking out her window, Percy still barking from her lap. "Ma'am someone should interview her," Lewis informed Innocent as he pointed to Mrs. O'Malley. " She's the last one to see DS Hathaway. Oh, tell them to be gentle," he added.**

"**I'll talk to her myself, Lewis and I'll be gentle," she said as she eyed the old woman.**

"**You two, you're with me," Chief Superintendent Innocent procured the nearest pair of PCs and ordered the two to follow her. She marched toward Mrs. O'Malley's house. **

**A young PC was walking away from Mrs. O'Malley's house shaking his head dejectedly. "She won't open the door. She just sits in that window shouting at me to go away," the PC informed Innocent. "And that dog won't shut-up. Darn thing should be hoarse with all that barking." **

"**She'll talk to me," Innocent replied with authority. "Or she will be hauled to the station for a long chat." She spoke loud enough for nosy old lady to hear. Loud enough to be heard over the incessant barking.**

**Mrs. O'Malley's front door open slowly, Percy the poodle darted outside barking to welcome the visitors. "Come in, please," a timid soft voice called to the Chief. "Percy baby, come inside before you catch a cold." Percy pranced into the house still barking. Innocent and the two officers followed.**

**-l-l-l-**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"**Robbie," Laura called to Lewis, she stood by one of the forensic vans closing the coverall she had put on. She handed a disposable protective crime scene coverall to Lewis as he approached.**

"**How's your hand," he inquired as he dressed in the blue coveralls. **

"**Hurts. How did you get Innocent to order all this," Laura glances around while Lewis wiggled into the coveralls. Dressed in their crime scene suits they turned toward James' house. Several people were already inside and outside methodically searching for any clues.**

"**I just told her James was missing, " Lewis explained. "I didn't have to beg, bargain, plea nor argue with her."**

**They both hesitated at the entrance both trying to convince themselves everything will be all right. They each had a hollow filling at the pit of their stomachs. Finally Lewis took a deep breath and first step through the threshold into the crime scene. Both put their personal feelings aside to do what was necessary for their lost friend. Their work began.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent sat on an old burgundy settee with a white crochet doily on each arm rest. The two young PCs sat in matching burgundy wingback chairs all pretty but uncomfortable. Mrs. O'Malley's house had a smell of a mixture of strong old lady's perfume, dead fish and old trash. **

**The old lady walked slowly into the sitting room with a tray of tea and a few odd shaped biscuits for the visiting officers. She poured five cups of tea one for each officer and one for Percy. One of the young PCs reached for a biscuit but stopped short when Percy growled ominously.**

"**Percy dear mind you manners," she scolded the dog. "Have a biscuit, Son, Percy will share." She told the PC. He withdrew his hand leaving the dog biscuits lay on the china plate for Percy to eat. **

"**Now, Mrs. O'Malley, I'm Chief Superintendent Jea..." Innocent started to introduce herself.**

"**I know who you are my dear," Mrs. O'Malley interrupted. "You are Jeannie Lynn McConnell. You sat at the same desk as your father my most successful student. Yes I know you, you are the daughter of former Prime Minister Leonard McConnell. You my dear must be a disappointment to your family." **

**Jean was shocked to see her grade school teacher. She was old and mean then and she has not changed a bit. "So Jeannie McConnell the mean girl in row three is now a police officer." Mrs. O'Malley tormented.**

**Blushing Innocent quickly had to regain her composure and control of the conversation or they will be here for hours, hours of hell. "Mrs. O'Malley, I'm surprise to see you.."**

"**Still alive," Mrs. O'Malley finished the sentence for her former student. "I'm still here my dear. Despite how horrible you were." She looked at the young superintendent with condescending eyes. Jean squirmed, she felt like she was back in the class she hated so much with the teacher she hated.**

"**Right, Mrs. O'Malley, one of my Sargents is missing. From..." Once again the retired teacher interrupted.**

"**Still loosing things, Jeannie? You never learned, did you?" She poured another cup of tea for Percy.**

**Ignoring the old bat Innocent pressed on, "Mrs. O'Malley, what did you see and hear last night from Sargent James Hathaway's house?" **

**The mantel clock struck the top of the hour, the chimes loudly sang off key. Percy instantly bounced up and raced up stairs barking. He then trotted down stairs and out the back door, barking every step. When the chimes stopped, Percy marched inside returning to his seat and resumed lapping up his cup of tea and eating his biscuits. **

**Annoyed at the continuous interruptions Innocent took a more aggressive tone, "What did you see, Mrs. O'Malley?" Percy growled and started to bark. "Keep that dog quiet or I will have one of my PCs lock him up!" She warned.**

**Scared Mrs. O'Malley quickly scooped Percy into her protective arms. Innocent glared threateningly daring the former teacher to defy her warning. Both PCs started to take notes as Mrs. O'Malley reluctantly began to answer Chief Innocent's questions.**

"**Please, Mrs. O'Malley, this is important. Can you tell me about your neighbor, Sargent James Hathaway?" Innocent's tone softened her eyes were pleading.**

"**That young man, your Sargent, needs to have his mouth washed out with soap." Mrs. O'Malley rambled. "For the past two weeks I could hear him shouting in the night. Cursing. Poor Percy, I had to keep him inside away from such foul language."**

"**Well, he was wailing and cursing all night," she leaned forward in her chair almost squishing Percy in her lap. "Last night, about two or three in the morning, I saw that vulgar young man stagger outside drunk. He was half naked. No shirt and no shoes."**

"**Just tell us about last night, please," Jean asked.**

**Her eyes narrowed as she continued to describe Hathaway's moonlit walk. "He yelled at Percy and the stumbled out the back garden gate into the woods. Good ridden to him, too. He was mean, vulgar and obscene."**

"**Obscene?" Innocent questioned.**

"**Yes, he stopped and well he relieved himself by the back gate," she curled her wrinkled lip up in discuss. "Then he yelled at poor Percy. Such a tormented man, I guess you made him that way."**

**Innocent glared at the old teacher warning her to stop but there was no stopping Mrs. O'Malley. "Jeannie you have a nasty way to turn people bitter," she began to lecture. "You could turn a Saint bitter. You are a bad girl, bad."**

**Innocent rolled her eyes and moved to get up from the uncomfortable settee. The mantel clock chimed off key again at half past the hour. _'Only thirty minutes, felt like an eternity' _Jean thought. Percy bounce up again and started his barking patrol of the house. **

**Having her fill of the torment by her old teacher and the noise of the poodle, Jean snapped at the annoying dog, "Be quiet." **

**She turned to the two PCs. "Wait outside for me," she ordered. They left the house closing the door behind them. Both were relieved to leave the smelly house, noisy dog and bitter old teacher. "What a fruitcake," one whispered. **

**Turning to Mrs. O'Malley, "For your information I am Chief Superintendent of Oxfordshire Police. Despite what you think, my parents are proud of my accomplishments. Thank you for your time, Mrs. O'Malley" Jean snarled and left the smelly house. Percy started to bark but instantly stopped when Jean turned and narrowed her eyes glaring at the pesky dog. **

"**That woman," she growled underneath her breath. "Turn your finished reports in as soon as you can. I'm returning to the station," she told the PCs that help her with the torturous interview. "Thank you for you help and if you two want to continue to be on the force, you will keep your mouths shut about Mrs. O'Malley and her version of my school years. You understand?" **

**They nodded and quickly left to write their reports. Neither said a word aloud, but both were smiling and laughing to themselves. **

**-l-l-l-**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Dr. Wills sat at his broken desk scribbling out an incident report. He looked around his office, broken furniture, book case now resemble kindling, books littered the room and papers torn to confetti. The desk top computer scattered across the office and the monitor screen cracked. The laptop missing. **

**When Dr. Wills approached Mr. Smith to take the laptop away, Smith's somewhat calm demeanor changed instantly. One second he was talking about his life's accomplishments the next he was a wild out of control animal. Throwing anything he could get his hands on. Breaking whatever the could. Biting, scratching and swinging his fists around like a pro boxer.**

**Two people were sent to the hospital with various cuts, bruises, a broken arm, concussion and who knows what else. An orderly ended his shift with a broken arm. Another orderly's shift ended early when he was knocked unconscious by a flying book. **

"**If nothing else Mr. Smith has a good right hook and excellent pitching arm" Dr. Wills thought out loud to himself. "I wonder if he is a boxer or maybe a cricket pitcher?**

"**From the looks of your office I say Mr. Smith is a demolition expert," Dr. Rebecca Myers startled Dr. Erik Wills causing him to jump out of his deep concentration. She surveyed the wreckage of his office. "What a mess! Looks like my four nephews visited." She joked **

"**Ouch! You look as bad as your office. What happened?" She negotiated her way through the broken office furniture, shattered glass and scattered papers to Dr. Wills. "I leave you alone for a week and you get into a fight. How does the other guy look?" She teased. **

**Dr. Myers palpitated Dr. Wills' swollen face with her small soft hands. "I don't feel anything broken," she continued to check his wounds. Her long dark brown hair fell over her shoulder swinging toward his face as she leaned closer to him. He could smell the lavender on her soft hair. He moved his lips up to meet hers. **

"**What do you know about humans, Dr. Myers, you're a veterinarian," he soothed as their lips met. She leaned more into the kiss, but their lips did not linger because the chair underneath Dr. Wills gave away and the doctors fell onto the floor. The scattered papers and books did nothing to soften their landing.**

**The interruption of their passion did not last, Erik stretched his arm to encircle his lover. He captured her lips with his, deepening their kiss. His left hand moved to her hip slipping up under her black skirt. Caressing her thigh. **

"**Excuse me doctors," Nurse Sarah Swan knocked on the open office door interrupting the lustful couple. "Sorry to interrupt, however, I need to know if you want to make a police report of the incident with Mysterious Smith?" **

"**Mysterious Smith?" wondered Rebecca.**

"**Yeah, he's my new patient," he told Rebecca as he nibbled on her earlobe. "No. Not right now, Sarah, I want to gain his confidence. Police will only cause him to crawl farther into his shell."**

"**Well then, carry on," Nurse Swan thoughtfully turned the office lights off and closed the door. "Ah to be young again."**

"**So, is this Smith the man who did this?" Rebecca cooed as she resumed her kisses on Dr. Wills bruises. "Do you know who he is?"**

"**Enough talk," was all he said as his mouth cover hers. **

**-l-l-l-**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**-l-l-l-**

**Mrs. O'Malley stood at the large picture window watching her former pupil, Jeannie McConnell. She stroke Percy vigorously trying to soothe the growling barking poodle. "Hush my dear Percy, Mean Jean is gone. She won't hurt you now," turning quickly she put the grumpy poodle on a chair. "Come we must tell Johnny about his Jeannie." **

**She took an old shawl off the back of a chair and wrapped it around her shoulders then started to fumbled through a collection of small dog clothes.**

"What do you want to wear today, dearie?" she asked as she thoughtfully chose a coat for her pampered pet who was wagging his stubby gray tail. Percy was always excited to go for a ride. New people for him to bark and growl at, new things to smell. 

**Dressed, Percy and Mrs. O'Malley left the house to catch a waiting taxi. David Miller was the only taxi driver Mrs. O'Malley trusted to chauffeur her and Percy. He was used to his former teacher's condescending attitude, but what the hell he would say, the old bat always paid and always gave him a lot extra. A day driving her and that dog paid better than a week driving drunk puking students.**

**Percy loved David, he would keep special treats the dog. Treats that were truly special. Doggie biscuits frosted with "special" frosting, frosting the clever driver made to keep the dog calm and quiet. David never added too much of the herbal remedy, just enough to the frosting was perfect for the drives. If the drive was to Oxford market, Percy would receive a small biscuit. If the drive was to High Wycombe, then Percy's special treat was large. Large enough to keep him from barking and biting while in the taxi.**

"**Here you go Percy, I have a nice large biscuit for you today," David tossed a large special frosted biscuit to the passenger front seat for the small dog. Percy eagerly licked the doctored frosting and as expected he sat quietly in the seat licking and gnawing on the biscuit. "All settled, Mrs. O'Malley?" he questioned as he listened to the old lady fumble with the seat belt buckle. When David herd the click of the buckle he knew that was his cue to put the car into gear and go. **

**If David drove too fast he would get smacked on the back of the head and scolded. If he drove too slow Mrs. O'Malley would smack him on the head. Either way she would hit on the head and lectured on how to drive. However, today David had that fixed. He installed a lock on the back passenger's seat belt. A lock that would not extend any seat belt strap out once the belt was in place. Excellent for baby car seats and old lady's with annoying habits of abusing the driver. **

**With the newly installed seat belt locks, David thought the thirty minute drive to High Wycombe would peaceful and pain free however the drive was anything but pain free. Anything but peaceful. Just the opposite. **

**Mrs. O'Malley was more clever than he thought, when she was unable to lean forward to tap him on the head she decided to use her wooden cane. Much better, she thought, she could prod him in the back of the head or when David needed more discipline she could take the curved hook end and whack him good. No more strain on her old delicate hands. **

"**Wycombe Hills, Mrs. O'Malley," David announced when they finally arrived at their destination. Not quick enough for him. His head was throbbing. **

"**I know where we are young man. I have eyes that still work," the old lady scolded as she unbuckled. "That is more than I can say for your taxi. This seat belt is broken. The strap was strangling me the whole ride. Thank goodness I had my cane."**

"**I'll get that fixed right away, Ma'am," David said as he rubbed his soar head. A small bump was forming on the left side of his head. He decided the locks would have to be removed or he would need a hard hat for the drive to Oxford.**

"**Come Percy, we must see Johnny right away," Mrs. O'Malley called to her faithful dog.**

"**I'll see you in two hours, Ma'am?" David questioned as Mrs. O'Malley placed Percy in her over size handbag. **

"**Two hours should be sufficient. I will have the nurse call you when I'm ready," She called over her shoulder. "Do not make me wait, David Miller!" **

**-l-l-l-**

**Aisling Gillpatrick sat at the front reception desk twirling her thick curly hair when she notice a familiar taxi drive up to the entrance door. "David," she uttered softly with a hint of mischief in her voice. "My day if finally turning brighter." **

"**Why's that?" Questioned Nurse Swan. "Oh, I see. I guess you will want me to watch the front for you, Aisling?" **

**Aisling leaped with excitement and she quickly whirled the chair around to face the senior nurse. "Would you, please?" She begged, her thick Irish accent slipped through.**

"**Of course," she smiled to the young nurse. "Keep your time with David "safe"! We don't want any little Irish brats popping out unexpectedly, do we?" she teased.**

"**Oh joy, Mrs. O'Malley and Percy," Sarah noticed David's passenger. "I do hope Percy had some of David's special biscuits."**

"**David made some for us just in case," Aisling reached for the plastic container with Percy written on the sides. **

"**Let's hope the night orderlies didn't decide to snoop for snacks," Sarah said hoping for a full box of Percy Biscuits. Aisling opened the box to happily see a full box.**

**Nurse Sarah Swan unlocked the door to let Mrs. O'Malley and Percy inside. "Good morning David," she called to the driver. "Good morning Mrs. O'Malley. Good morning Percy." **

"**Oh good morning, Nurse Swan," Mrs. O'Malley said as she entered the sanatorium, Wycombe Hills. **

"**What brings you here today, Mrs. O'Malley," questioned the nurse.**

"**Never you mind why I am here," the old lady huffed and she walked toward the inner security door. "Now open this door, I want to see my Johnny." She prodded the door with her cane.**

**Nurse Gillpatrick pressed the security lock for the door, allowing Mrs. O'Malley to proceed down the hall. "Shouldn't someone escort her," Aisling asked Sarah.**

"**No, she's been to the sanatorium enough to know her way. Besides the residents know to avoid Percy and the Bat." She teased.**

**The nurses heard a whistle and Sarah quickly hurried Aisling out the door to be with her taxi driving boyfriend. "Oh to be young again," Sarah smiled at the young couple.**

**-l-l-l-**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**-l-l-l-**

**Lewis returned to the station with more questions and no new answers. He paced his and Hathaway's office searching his brain for those missing answers. His eyes fell upon the empty chair of his partner. Tears of frustrations started to fill Lewis' eyes. **

"**Robbie, they're waiting for us," Chief Innocent stood in the doorway. **

**He turned to confront the person who dared to interrupted his thoughts. "Ma'am?" He barked. questioned, not knowing **

**Before he could ask Innocent who was waiting and why, she turned started to walk briskly down the hall. He quickly caught up with her, his legs having to work hard to keep up with Innocent. As they rounded a corner Lewis stopped to look at the people standing outside the police station conference room. "Ma'am?" was all he could utter.**

"**I called a conference. I wanted everyone up to date on James," she informed. He could hear the heavy emotion in her voice. He noticed her eyes were moist, but no tears escaped. Innocent was still in control of her emotions, just barely.**

**Lewis was having to fight and fight hard to keep his emotions under control. He so badly wanted to lash out at someone. He wanted to find someone to blame, but he was the only one to blame. James was his partner. The responsibility was his to keep James, his partner safe. A job he had failed.**

**Shaking his head free of the strong dark thoughts, Lewis realized there will be time later to place blame. Right now he had to concentrate on finding his missing partner, his friend. He needed to be out searching for clues, searching for answers, searching for James, not sitting on his arse in a room full of hungry heartless reporters. Without saying a word, Lewis quickly turned away from Innocent and left the police station. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**James could not move his arms nor his legs. He could not roll onto his side, he felt as if he was tied to something hard. His whole body ached. His stomach churned and burned. A bitter, bile taste boiled at the back of his throat. **

**His head pounded with a dull agonizing pain. He feared his head would explode if he moved. The ringing in his ears roared loudly, causing even more pain. His hand ached and throbbed. A piercing pain flowed throughout his whole body.**

**Cautiously, James opened his eyes slowly, he was afraid to open them too fast fearing his eyes would pop out. When he did finally open his bloodshot eyes all he could see was darkness. His neck popped and cracked painfully as he slowly turned his head to the side to look around. His could not focus on anything. Wherever he was smelled damp and musky.**

**The pain in his body increased with each movement of his head. Finally giving up he sighed heavily, dropped his head back down on the hard surface and closed his eyes. The dark shadows of his mind closed in on him once again. He no longer felt trapped, he no longer felt ill, he not longer felt any pain. James welcomed the darkness of sleep, a place he wish he could stay forever.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Chief Superintendent Innocent notice DI Lewis was no longer behind her. She scanned the crowded hall and saw Lewis as he turned the corner. "Robbie," she called for Lewis, but he did not stop. She tried to follow but was stopped by DI MacGim.**

"**Ma'am we need to hurry before Chief Constable Glasgow ….." DI Wyndham MacGim said with his thick Scottish accent. **

**Innocent looked at the short Scotsman. She was annoyed but she also knew he was right, "Thank you, MacGim." Innocent continued her way to the front of the room.**

**The conference room was full, standing room only. Off-duty officers, on-duty officers, retired officers, community volunteers, volunteer search teams and more fill the room. They stood along the walls, in the isle and crowded at the back of the room.**

**When Chief Superintendent Innocent entered, the crowd parted so she could walk to the front of without delay. The anxiously waiting crowd quietened. No one whispered, no one moved, everyone waited.**

**An incident board had been placed at the front of the room next to the podium. The board had several pictures of James' house, inside his house, his car, the woods behind the house, the river and one of Mrs. O'Malley. Attached to each picture was a small note. The note attached to Mrs. O'Malley's picture was written in bold red ink. **

**Chief Superintendent Innocent approached the podium, shuffled a stack of papers, adjusted the microphone and cleared her throat. "Detective Sargent James Hathaway was last seen..." she paused, a large lump started to form in her throat. Once again she cleared her throat and silently scolded herself, _'Be professional, Jean. No emotions. Just state the facts.'_**

"**DS Hathaway was last seen yesterday afternoon. A search of his house showed Hathaway had been drinking heavily and had taken some sleeping tablets. A witness places him leaving the house between two and three in the morning with no shoes and no shirt. We think he was only wearing boxer shorts." Innocent paused to collect her thoughts, "Hathaway was in no condition to be on his own. For the past..." **

"**Chief Superintendent Innocent?" a deep voice bellowed from the back of the room. The crowd quickly parted and a large tall man slowly made his way to the front of the room. He scanned the crowd intimidating everyone who dared to look at him. **

"**Oh shit!" DI MacGim cursed in his native tongue.**

"**Easy my Scottish friend," soothed the tall man. "Chief Innocent, I must have missed the memo of this meeting."**

**Chief Constable Glasgow slowly made his way to Innocent. His tall frame towered over her as he stood by her at the podium. Innocent's jaw tightened, she clinched the papers in her hand tightly. **

"**I had to..." Innocent stammered to her superior officer. She watch Glasgow glance at the pictures on the incident board.**

"**This lady looks like one of my old teachers," he tapping his long slender finger at the picture of Mrs. O'Malley. "She was a mean old bat. I remember her always hitting the students and giving demeaning nicknames to everyone. Too long ago for me to remember the name she baptized me with. Anyways, down to business"**

**Chief Constable Liam Glasgow leaned on the podium and lowered his head to the microphone. "The whereabouts of DS Hathaway is not officially a police matter," he paused to glare at the people in the room. "There is not enough evidence to prove otherwise. Right now all we know is another boozing, pill popping police officer has gone over the edge and flown the coup." **

**Angry whispers stirred the room. Innocent could not keep quiet any longer. "Chief Glasgow, I must pro..."**

"**UN-officially," he interrupted. "We don't have much to go on. Forensic have found evidence James was injured when he left his Cherwll Street house. He took a large amount of sleeping tablets, however James got sick and most of the pills were not digested." **

**Chief Glasgow continued to give all the information the forensic teams gathered. The report was detailed and complete. "The tracking team was able to follow James' trail until the River Cherwell. Dive teams are searching the river at this time." Chief Glasgow paused to let everyone process the information and catch up on their notes.**

**Innocent could hardly believe what she was hearing. She expected Glasgow to go by the book. She expected him to ignore everything and let James suffer by himself once again. **

"**I can not have one of my best detectives missing. A missing detective does not look good for the department," He teased. "What are you guys doing sitting here? Work together. Exchange every bit of information you find no matter have insignificant the information may seem. Get out there and find James. He needs us!"**

**The room emptied quickly as the officers, search teams and volunteers left to coordinate their efforts. Glasgow turned his back to the departing crowd and leaned down to speak privately to Innocent.**

"**We need to talk," he ordered. "Finish here and meet me in your office." **

**Innocent regretted hearing those words. She knew nothing good would come from their talk. A large knot balled up in the pit of her stomach. **

"**Yes sir," she quietly replied. Barely able to speak. She feared this might be the end of her career. She feared the past has finally came back to haunt her.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**-l-l-l-**

**Mrs. O'Malley strolled slowly down the corridor glancing inside each room as she passed the open door. She abruptly halted when she notice a man she thought she knew, but was not quiet sure. Quietly Mrs. O'Malley walked into the room pushing the door close. **

**The confined man had a few cuts and bruised on his face and a black eye. Restraints held his black and blue arms to the hard bed. The man rolled his head to one side, his blonde hair was a sweaty matted mess clunging to his scalp. He tried to lift his head but groaned and dropped his head back to the bed with a thump. The man moaned in his restless sleep like a tormented child.**

**Mrs. O'Malley reached out to touch the tortured man with her boney wrinkled hand, but suddenly yanked her hand back to her side when Dr. Wills entered the room. She was embarrassed and felt like a student caught cheating on a test.**

"**Mrs. O'Malley, what are you doing here today?" The doctor questioned. He was surprised to see the elderly woman at the sanatorium on a Tuesday. Her usual visiting days were Sunday and Thursday.**

"**I am free to come and go when I want to, Doctor," annoyed at the interruption, Mrs. O'Malley snapped. "Is there some law I am breaking by visiting on a Tuesday?"**

"**Oh no Mrs. O'Malley, you are welcomed to visit any day of the week," the doctor quickly defended his curiosity. He notice the elderly woman looking at his patient, Mr. Smith as if she knew who he was. "Do you know this young man, Mrs. O'Malley?"**

**Shocked at the question, she could not answer. "Why," was her only response.**

"**He's a very sick man," he explained. "He arrived not knowing who he was, nor where he comes from." **

**Mrs. O'Malley hid her evil smile. _'Oh I know him, but I will never tell. Let the doctors do their job. If they never identify this pitiful creature, then let him stay locked away never again to trouble me nor Percy,'_ she thought sadistic.**

"**No," she snapped at the doctor. Dr. Wills did not entirely believe her, she answered too quickly and too defensively. He had a gut feeling she knew something about his patient, Mr. Smith, but he did not have the nerve nor any authority to ask her more questions. Mrs. O'Malley quickly turned and shuffled out of the room. Dr. Wills decided to walk with Mrs. O'Malley to her nephew's room.**

"**How has my sweet Johnny been, Dr. Wills?" Mrs. O'Malley knew the answer but she did not want the doctor to ask her any questions. "I do hope he is not any trouble to you and your sweet nurses." **

"**Johnny is doing the same,"he replied absently. _'What can a comatose patient do to bother anyone?,' _thought Dr. Wills."Are you sure you don't know Mr. Smith?" He finally gathered the courage to ask her.**

**Mrs. O'Malley stopped and turned to confront the doctor. "I told you, young man, I do not know your half naked, barefooted, obscene man. I have never met him before today. Now leave me alone." She turned with a huff and dashed off to her nephew's room. **

**She raced so fast down the hall Mrs. O'Malley almost ran into Nurse Swan. To avoid the collision Nurse Swan fell back against the wall dropping the boxes of medical supplies she carried. Mrs. O'Malley did not offer any apology she just pushed passed the stunned nurse.**

"**Keep your staff out of my way, Dr Will. I should report the lot of you imbeciles," she warned. **

**Dr. Wills was too shocked to say anything. He was surprised to see the elderly woman move so fast. His mouth was still hanging open when Nurse Swan questioned him. "What? Oh, I'm sorry Sarah. What did you say?" He was still stunned by the brutishness of Mrs. O'Malley. **

**The staff at Wycombe Hills Sanatorium was used to Mrs. O'Malley's rude abrupt attitude. They excused her callous ways to the many years of teaching. However her actions today were not only rude but abusive. **

"**What was with Mrs. O'Malley?" questioned Nurse Swan as she picked up the scattered boxes.**

"**Sometimes I wonder if she needs to be permanent guest here," Dr. Wills joked. "I caught her in Mr. Smith's room. When I asked if she knew him Mrs. O'Malley came unhinged."**

**With all the boxes back in her arms, Nurse Swan and Dr. Wills walked to his office. "Funny, she said 'Half naked, barefooted, obscene man. How did she know Mr. Smith arrived with no shoes and only wearing boxers?"**

"**I bet she knows him," said Nurse Swan as she put the medical supplies in the cabinet. She checked each box for any broken vials. "That old bat always seem strange. To me Mrs. O'Malley acts old and other times she is old."**

"**Oh well," Dr. Wills resigned from trying to figure out old ladies. "Women have always been a big mystery, history has proven that over the years."**

**Nurse Swan threw and empty box at Dr. Wills' head, "We women might be a mystery, Dr. Wills, but most of us are not old bats fluttering around terrorizing everyone. I wonder if Mrs. O'Malley is on the government's no fly list?"**

"**Bats do not use airlines to fly, Sarah, they have their own wings," Dr. Wills laughed. Sarah tossed another box at him as she left his office. **

**-l-l-l-**

**Mrs. O'Malley hurried into her nephew's room and quickly closed the door. She opened the door slightly and glanced down the hallway checking to see if anyone followed her. The hallway clear, she once again closed door and locked the door to make sure no one interrupted her visit. **

"**Johnny?" Mrs. O'Malley put Percy on the bed next to her comatose nephew and settled in the chair next to his bed. "Johnny my dear, you will not believe who I saw today?" Mrs. O'Malley continued her one way conversation. "You remember Jeannie McConnell? Well, she is now Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent. Can you believe she is a police woman after what she did to you? What is this world coming to?"**

**She scratched through her purse and produced a digital camera. "Here, Johnny, here is a picture of Mean Jean. She still is pretty," Mrs. O'Malley held the camera to Johnny's eyes, eyes that could not focus nor see anything. Eyes that stared blankly at the ceiling.**

"**She was looking for her young Sargent, my neighbor. You remember him, I told you about my rude neighbor. Well, guess what? I think Mean Jean's Sargent is down the hall from you," she whispered to her nephew. **

**Percy jumped off the bed and walked around the room sniffing everything and looking for something to eat. He whimpered to his owner, Mrs. O'Malley reached down to pick up her precious dog. He finally settled next to the warm body on the bed. He knew the visit would last a while, bored Percy slept while she gently stroked his fur.**

**Mrs. O'Malley plotted with her nephew their revenge against Jean McConnell and her missing Sargent. She had to plan a way to hurt Jean the way she hurt Johnny. She sat next to her unresponsive nephew not realizing the time. She was startled when someone tried to open the locked door.**

"**Mrs. O'Malley?" Nurse Gillpatrick knocked. "Mrs. O'Malley your taxi is here. David is waiting. Please unlock this door." Aisling Gillpatrick rattled the door knob again.**

"**Keep your pants on. I'm coming," yelled Mrs. O'Malley. She jerked the door opened and glared at the young nurse. "We did not want to be disturbed. Tell David I will be there when I am ready." Mrs. O'Malley slammed the door in the flabbergasted nurse's face.**

**Nurse Gillpatrick returned to the reception desk. "David, I think you better give Mrs. O'Malley some of Percy's biscuits. She is in a real foul mood."**

"**She's been in a foul mood since she arrive," informed Nurse Swan. "She snapped at Dr. Wills when he found her in our mysterious patient Mr. Smith's room. He thinks Mrs. O'Malley knows Mr. Smith."**

"**I'm safe from her, Sarah. I have a new hat to wear in the taxi," he tapped proudly at his new hard hat. "The seat belt lock did not work so, maybe this hat will protect my head."**

**Sarah, David and Aisling looked up when they herd Mrs. O'Malley bang on the inner security door. "Open this door," Mrs. O'Malley yelled like an insane person. **

**Aisling hesitated for a moment wondering if Mrs. O'Malley should be in the public when she is in such a foul mood. The old woman banged and kicked the door violently until Aisling finally pressed the button to release the security door lock.**

"**I am going to report you young lady," the angry old woman fumed at the young nurse. "Why did you not open the door?" She demanded an answer.**

"**Mrs. O'Malley," David soothed. "If we are to beat the traffic we need to leave for Oxford now." David's soft voice calmed the angry woman. She huffed and walked to the waiting taxi.**

"**Hurry up David, I want to get home quickly," she ordered. **

**David quickly kissed Aisling and gave Nurse Swan a quick peck on her cheek. "I'll see you two beauties soon," he said as he winked at the nurses.**

"**Flirt," Nurse Swan accused as she touched her blushing cheeks.**

**David waved one final goodbye to his girlfriend as he settled in the driver's seat of his taxi. He quickly place his new construction helmet on his head and gave Percy a special biscuit. Then the taxi left Wycombe Hills Sanatorium. **

**Surprisingly, Mrs. O'Malley did not criticize David's driving nor hit him once. She sat in the back seat mumbling to herself. David could hear a few words, but none of the words made any since. **

**He dropped his unusually quiet passengers off at their Cherwell Street house. The narrow street was crowded with several cars parked at Mrs. O'Malley neighbor's house. David started to open the passenger car door for Mrs. O'Malley, but she was all ready out of the car with Percy trailing close behind her. The old woman did not say a word as she stormed into her house slamming the white door behind her.**

"**Goodbye, Mrs. O'Malley," David said as he counted the money she left in the back seat. "Yep, driving you is better than driving any student." He pocketed the money and drove away. **

**-l-l-l-**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**-l-l-l-**

**The drive to James' house was long and dreary. Going home traffic clogged the narrow streets, each driver racing to get home caused the traffic to back up. Dark rain clouds covered the setting sun making the drive more gloomy for Lewis. Rain slowly began to sprinkle on the windscreen creating a smeary mess of the splatted bugs.**

**As he turned off Marston Road onto Cherwell Street he notice Mrs. O'Malley getting out of a taxi with Percy, her faithful poodle trailing behind her. The old lady almost slammed the door on the dog as he darted through the closing door. _'Would have been a funny sight to see,'_ thought Lewis. He noticed the taxi driver was standing beside the taxi counting his fare money. **

**The taxi drove away before Lewis could park his car, he was hoping to talk to the driver. However, he was able to jot down the number of the taxi, he could question the driver later when he had more time. Right now, he wanted get into James' house, Lewis had a gut feeling that he had missed something this morning. **

"**God, only half the day has passed. Seems like weeks," Lewis mumbled out loud to himself as he climbed from his car. He was reading a forensic report as he walked up to Hathaway's front door. He looked up to see young PC stretch crime scene tape across the green door. **

"**Leave that for right now, PC ugh," Lewis stammered to search for the young PC's name tag. "PC Bell. I'll lock up when I'm through."**

"**Yes sir, DI Lewis," replied PC Bell. "Sir, do you mind if I... I get..."**

"**What?" Lewis was distracted by something in the report and did not understand what the kid wanted. "Oh, yeah, sure just come back in a few hours. Here's my card, call before you come back, I might need you to bring me something." PC Bell eagerly took the card and was honored to have such a seasoned detective talk to him. **

"**I'll be back asap, Sir," Bell called over his shoulder as he skipped too his car.**

"**Don't hurry, Bell," Lewis replied. "I'll be here for a while."**

**Lewis was scanning the forensic report again as he fumbled with the lock. The keys slipped from his fingers and dropped into the flower pot below. He did not get the keys right away, Lewis was concentrating on one troubling line in the report. **

"**What! This can't be right," he shouted to the report. **

**Angry, Lewis grabbed the door hand only to find the door still locked. He cursed and began to search for the dropped keys. While frisking the potted plant for the elusive keys, Lewis notice all the cigarette butts in the pot. He also noticed a burnt ends of hand rolled butts. Curious, he picked up one of the hand rolled butts and sniffed the unburnt end. **

**Anger boiled inside him, Lewis shoved the keys forcefully into the lock and kicked the door open. He stormed into James' house, tossed the offensive report onto the kitchen counter and stuffed the evidence he found in the flower pot into a bag.**

**His mobile began to ring, Lewis did not pay any attention to the familiar ring tone. "What?" He yelled to the defenseless person on the phone.**

"**Well," the soft voice of Dr. Hobson responded in mock of fence. "Have I caught you at a bad time?" She questioned.**

"**Yes," he snapped.**

"**What's goin' on, Robbie," Laura asked as she entered James' kitchen, sneaking upon Lewis. He spun around to face his caller. **

**Lewis turned off his mobile and jabbed it into his coat pocket. He reached into the lower pocket and retrieved the evidence bag to show Laura what provoked his angry outburst.**

"**So," was her only response. **

**Fuming even more, Lewis' face turned red. "He's been drinking, heavily. He took enough sleeping tablets to knock out an elephant. And now I found out he's doing drugs!" Lewis started to pace the kitchen and living room waving his arms. "What are they going to say when they read this report?" He threw the report scattering the papers across both rooms.**

"**_THEY_, already know, Robbie," she explained. "I talked to Innocent and Chief Whats-His-Name."**

"Chief Glasgow. You told them?" he yelled.

**Laura rolled her eyes. "Innocent knew before James disappeared."**

"**WHAT!" he yelled even louder causing Percy to bark in Mrs. O'Malley's back yard. "SHUT-UP DAMN YOU," he yelled to the dog.**

"**Calm down. Innocent suggested the****pharmaceutical ****medical cannabis. I had Dr. Daniels write and fill a prescription for James," Laura justified their actions. "The medical cannabis was the only way to get him to calm down. The stuff is not strong enough to get a buzz or anything. Most of it was a placebo, the rest was …. fake."**

**Lewis picked up a sheet of the forensic report and waved the crumpled paper in Laura's face. "What about this report? It says he had this stuff in him when he puked! It also says he drank enough scotch to drown a Scotchman and sleeping pills! He took SLEEPING ….."**

"**Robbie," she tried to calm him. "Innocent and Chief Glasgow know and understand. There will be no reprimands for James. We just have to find him." She pulled the report from his hand and held both of his hands looking into his eyes. Hoping to see him calm down. She could see the anger in his eyes slowly simmer. **

**Lewis took a deep breath and sank down into the white sofa chair. "We have to find him alive, Laura." Tears welled up in his eyes. "With all this shit in his system he...," he left the rest of the words unsaid, hanging in the air like a guillotine .**

**Laura knelt in front of her distraught friend. "We'll find him. Besides if you took the time to read the report completely you would have read that there was not enough of anything in his system to have done James any harm."**

"**How do you know that," disbelieving he asked.**

"**The urine sample gathered. Remember?" She gave Lewis and encouraging smile.**

**He put his head back and inhaled sharply trying to decipher all the information clogging his mind. "Where do we start?" he pondered aloud. Lewis lean farther back into the cushy chair laying his head back. His eyes absently roamed the top of the bookshelf behind him. **

**Lewis' eyes stopped and focused on a small book hiding on the top shelf behind a huge plant. The corner of the book barely visible from where he sat. He turned around in the chair to get a better look, but the book once again hid behind the plant.  
**

**Keeping his eye on the shelf Lewis grabbed a nearby dinning chair and pulled the chair to the bookshelf. He mounted the creaky wooden chair and handed the plant to Laura. She had followed Lewis to the bookshelf curious as to what Lewis had found.**

"**What's this?" Lewis handed the hidden book to Laura and brushed his hand on top of the bookcase searching for more hidden items. A small bundle fell to the floor with a storm of dust. Lewis also saw a corner of a piece of paper sticking out behind the top of the shelf. Unable to grab the paper, Lewis attempt to move the heavy bookcase.**

**Laura sat on the sofa thumbing through the once hidden book. "It's his journal," she began to search for the last entry. "He wrote something in here yesterday, his last entry." Slowly she read the haunting words written by their tormented friend. **

**Lewis began to push on the heavy bookcase, but the shelf would not budge. He put his hand behind the case to pull but he heard a click. The shelf surprisingly swung slowly open to reveal a hidden shelf built into the wall. **

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	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

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**Chief Superintendent Innocent slowly gathered the reports from the podium grumbling to herself. She stuffed the papers into a binder and tucked the incident board underneath her arm and slowly the long walk to her office. The knot in her stomach tightened to the point she felt ill. **

**The closer she got to her office the more angry she became. She has always had a bitter feeling toward the Chief Constable Glasgow. He was a life time member of the 'Good Ole Boys Club'. He always helped those who could do him a favor. He gain rank through those favors. Rank that rightfully belonged to others. Jean always wondered how many crimes were cover-up by Glasgow.**

**The door to the outer office was left open and she could see Chief Constable Liam Glasgow sitting at her desk snooping through the drawers. He glanced up to see his underling standing in the doorway. Her red face and tight jaws betrayed her the calm attitude she was trying to show. **

"**Jeannie, my dear, sit," Chief Constable Glasgow gestured to a chair in front of her desk. He made himself at home in her chair, propping his feet upon her desk. "You look beautiful as always. We need to go out sometime to catch up on old times, Sweetie." His eye filled with passion as he slowly licked his lips.**

**Her anger and fear finally under control, Chief Superintendent Innocent place the binder in the proffered chair and leaned the incident board against the chair. She stood up straight, adjusted her black silk blouse and walked behind her desk. Jean narrowed her eyes. "My chair," she ordered. "And get this straight, Chief Constable Glasgow, this is my station, my office, my desk and my chair. You will remember where you are and who I am. I will not tolerate any of your 'Sweetheart' talk." **

**Innocent's courage returned and strengthen with each word she spoke. "Now what do you want?" she demanded. "I have work to do and an officer to find. So, say what you have to say and get out!" Her eyes spoke volumes as she glared at Glasgow.**

**He slowly got out of her chair and mockingly dusted the chair and desk. Glasgow waved his hand and gave Innocent a deep bow. "My Lady, your chair awaits you," he cooed. "I have a confession to make, Jeannie," Her eyes narrowed at the sound of him pronouncing the name she hates. "Jean," he corrected.**

"**I am not a priest, Glasgow," she snapped. "And if you ever did confess to a priest, I am sure his ears would catch on fire listening to all your sins."**

"**Why thank you, Jean," he smiled evilly. "I'm glad you remember the fun we use to have."**

"**The times with you were anything but fun. Dangerous and risky would described those days. And those days are long gone never to return," Jean kept calm and was trying to keep the conversation away from their past and on the present. **

**She casually reached underneath her desk to turn on a hidden recorder. She learned longtime ago to record any conversation with Glasgow. "What do you have to tell me?"**

"Humm, that sure does look like my old school teacher," trying to toy with Innocent. Glasgow continued to drag out his visit. He could see she was starting to loose control. He could see her eyes glisten with tears and her jaw tighten with anger.

"**GLASGOW," Jean said through clinched her teeth. Teeth clinched so tight she thought she they would break.**

"**All right. Don't get your knickers all in a wad," he tested her. "Jimmy Fitzroy escaped" he blurted out.**

"**Leave my knickers out... What? How can a dead man escape from the grave? You told me he killed himself," Jean's voice was starting to break. She no longer was in control of her emotions. "You identified his body."**

"**Well, I lied. We're good at lying, remember Jeannie? Jean." Glasgow stood up pacing the office. "His family were and still are powerful people, Jean. I let them..."  
**

"**You let that murdering bastard go home to his family?" she was now leaning across her desk, her hands balled into a tight fist. Her fingernails were cutting into the palms of her hands "He tortured and killed PC Kindly. He played games with Hathaway. He still is haunting James. And now you stand here telling me he is not dead. You let him go home! Home to mummy and grandad?"**

"**His father was very persuasive and very generous," Glasgow explained. "They promised to keep Jimmy.."**

**Fuming Jean leaned further on her desk almost climbing on top. She grabbed the corrupt chief by the his jacket to stop his pacing. "He's a killer. He deserves life in prison. Not life at home with his family. Life without parole. Now he has escaped. Escaped from WHERE?"**

"He was receiving treatment at Broadmoor Hospital and well … escaped last week," Glasgow could not look Innocent in the eyes. He knew he was in trouble. "We need to find him, quickly and quietly. His mother is prepared to make this worth our trouble, Jean." 

"**I tell you what you are going to do, Glasgow," Jean released her grip on him. "You are going to clean your mess up by yourself. You are going to internal affairs." Glasgow started to protest but Innocent pointed to the microphone hidden in the plant on her desk. **

**Glasgow lost his temper and slapped the plant off the desk. He then locked her office door. "Look Bitch. If I go down..." he threaten.**

"**No! You look," Innocent was no longer intimidated by his rank. She no longer feared him doing anything to her career. She despised trash like Glasgow. "You do not scare me. I have not done anything wrong. This is your doing, Glasgow, not mine. Not anyone else only you. Now, who was the dead man you identified as Fitzroy?" She demanded.**

**Still trying to figure out how to get out of this mess, Glasgow sat tapping his fingers absently on the edge of her desk. "I don't remember. Some bum. Nobody important. No one ever missed him." He waved his hand in the air flippantly. **

**Both Innocent and Glasgow jumped when someone banged on the door. "Open up, Glasgow," they banged hard on the office door, rattling the handle viciously. "Unlock this door," demanded the man. He continued to bang even harder.**

**Chief Superintendent Innocent cautiously walk to the door keeping her eyes on Glasgow. Still with her eyes on him, she unlocked the door to let in internal affairs officer Frank Powell. "Glasgow, I like you to meet Frank Powell from Internal Affairs. He would love to have a long chat with you."**

"**Hello, Glasgow. This has been a long time coming," Powell held Glasgow's elbow and escorted him from Innocent's office. "Thanks for your help, Chief. We finally have the evidence we've been needing." **

"**Glasgow, if you know where James.." her eyes pleaded with him. "Please!"**

**The soon to be ex-Chief Constable Glasgow looked at her, "Jeannie if I knew where that boy was I would tell you." He slowly walked to her, standing close enough to catch her minty sweet breath. "I don't know where James nor Fitzroy are, I only wish I did." He dropped his head down to his chest and his shoulders slumped, defeated. "I'm sorry, Jean."**

**A sour taste sat in her mouth. The sour taste only a dirty cop leaves in your mouth. "How many people have you hurt, Liam? How many people are hurting like James?" She did not expect any answers. "Get out of my office, you piece of trash." Jean slammed the door and slumped heavily in her chair. **

**Tears fell onto her desk, "I'm sorry James." She flung her arm sweeping her desk clean, scattering papers across the room. Jean grabbed a tissue, her purse and her suit jacket and she stormed out of her office. Out of her Kidlington station. **

**She drove for hours aimlessly around Oxfordshire. Tears flowed freely. Innocent kept wiping her face with the tattered soaked tissue. Her car sputtered to a halt, out of petrol. Loosing all control of her emotions Jean laid her head on the steering wheel and screamed.**

**Finally out of breath, hot and hoarse from screaming, Jean fished from her purse her mobile. "Hi, It's me. I need a lift," she told her secretary. "I'm on A 417 Near Shellingford." She listened to her secretary, "I don't know. I just drove around until, until I ran out of petrol." She listened again, "Okay, I'll be here, I'm not going anywhere." **

**Jean tossed the mobile on the passenger's seat and sat back looking at the stars through her open sunroof. "When did it get dark," she asked herself out loud. A star shot across the sky and silently Jean made a wish. A lone tear escaped.**

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	17. Chapter 17

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**Chapter 17**

**Dr. Eric Wills walked back to his office still wondering how much Mrs. O'Malley knew about his amnesiac patient. "How did she know Smith arrived with no shoes? Humm, I wonder," He said absentmindedly to himself.**

**As he entered his office, he realized the office was still trashed. Mr. Smith's temper and quick violent moves manage to break most of the furniture and decor in Dr. Wills' office.**

"**Oh buggers. Miss Swan," he started to speak into phone only to find the phone cord had been broken in two pieces. "Great! Just great!," Aggravated, Dr. Wills tossed the phone handset into the trashcan, knocking the can over. Leaning down to set the can up, Erik noticed his missing laptop hiding underneath the broken desk.**

**Getting down on all fours the doctor crawled underneath his desk to retrieve the laptop, hoping to find it still working. "Come here, little laptop. It's safe, Mr. Smith is gone," he talked to the laptop as if the computer had ears. "I must be tired, I'm talking to a bloody laptop."**

"**Keep that up doctor and we'll have to find you a room here," Nurse Swan startled Wills. He yelp as he banged his head on the underneath side of the desk.**

"**Thanks, Sarah," he rubbed his bruised head. "Many more days like today and I will be thrilled to be a patient here." He stood up slowly making sure his whole body was clear of the hard desk, proudly holding the object he he retrieved. "Found it!"**

"**Good. Is it still working," Nurse Swan asked. She slowly negotiated her way through the scattered belongings of his office. **

**Dr. Wills, leaned on the teetering desk creaking under the weight and propped the computer on his lap. He gently opened the laptop and crossing his fingers he powered up the portable computer. **

"**Yes! Yes indeed it works! At least not all is lost," he cheered. Wills had too many important files stored on his laptop computer. He feared all the files had been lost. He silently made a mental note to himself to make daily back-ups on all his files.**

"**Now to find a place to finish my day's work in peace and quiet," Dr. Wills left his office in search of a new work place.**

**Nurse Swan followed. "Try, Mr. Smith's room. He should still be out." She told him as she walked toward the front desk. "I'll be leaving soon, Doctor. Is there anything else you need before I go?"**

"Huh? Oh. No, Sarah. Have a great night. Thanks for all your help, Sarah," Dr. Wills said. "Smith's room sounds great." They said their goodbyes and parted in opposite directions. 

**Sarah looked back at the young doctor she was so fond of, he reminded her of another doctor she fell in love with eons ago. "Too many memories and no one to share them with," she mumbled. "See you tomorrow, Aisling," She bid her good byes the nurse at the front desk.**

"**Oh! Uh, good night, Sarah," Nurse Aisling Gillpatrick replied distractedly.**

**Sarah could hear Aisling giggling and she knew the reason for the giggles when she saw the familiar taxi. "Good night, David," She teased from the front entrance door.**

"**Night, Sarah," David's muffled voice did not carry far. He was too busy making out with personal nurse, Nurse Gillpatrick.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Dr. Wills quietly entered his patient's room. The young man was still sedated and should make a perfect roommate for him. No phones, no idle talk, nothing to distract him.**

**Erik settled comfortable in a chair next to Mr. Smith's bed. He opened the recovered laptop and discovered a new untitled document saved to the desktop. Erik opened the unknown document and slowly began to read.**

_**'She laid naked on the bed, the sheets crumpled provocatively exposing only her beautiful back and the curves of her hips,' **_**Erik read the unfamiliar document, wondering who wrote this story. "Oh, this must be what you were doing in my office, Mr. Smith," he told the sleeping man. "Good ****beginning. The first sentence captures your readers attention. Maybe you are a writer, Mr. Smith."**

**Erik continued his solo conversation not noticing the movement in the room. He felt someone was looking at him. Erik looked up to see who else was in the room. Slowly he looked at the man and then he looked at the bed. His sedated, restrained patient was up and standing in front of him.**

"**Mr. Smith?" he stood up to talk to his now alert patient. Mr. Smith did not respond. His face was calm almost ghostly. "Mr. Smith how are you doing?" The only answer he received was a sharp burning pain to his stomach.**

**Dr. Wills looked down, he noticed Mr. Smith's holding a knife dripping with blood. Erik tried to speak, but the words fail to form in his throat. He then looked at his own hands, confused. Slowly Dr. Erik Wills realize the blood dripping from the small knife was his on. The blood in his hands was from his body.**

**He mouthed the words, "But why?" Then the world around him turned black for the young doctor, he did not see any light at the end of any tunnel. He only felt cold, no pain just cold. **

"**Mine," was all Mr. Smith said as he grabbed the laptop from Dr. Wills as the doctor slowly crumpled to the floor.**

"**AAAAAHHHHHHH!" Aisling screamed when she saw Mr. Smith standing over Dr. Wills body. "HEELLLPPPP!" She screamed again when she saw the bloody knife. **

"**Quiet!" Aislings' screams were silenced when Mr. Smith plunged the knife into her slender body. She fell to the floor clutching her side watching the blood seep through her fingers. **

**Her ears started to ring, she could not hear anything except for her own breathing and her heart pounding in her chest. She moved her head looking around the room for help, she could see Dr. Wills body laying still in a pool of blood. Then the room slowly started to go out of focus and then dark.**

**-l-l-l-**


	18. Chapter 18

**-l-l-l-**

**Chapter 18**

**-l-l-l-**

**DI ****Wyndham ****MacGim left the police station chuckling out loud. "Finally Glasgow gets his ****comeuppance," he announce to the world. "Thank you, God, for letting me live to see it. Now, I can die a happy man." MacGim sings to the rainy night. **

"**This calls for a drink. I need my drinking buddy," looking around the car park, MacGim could not see his friend's car. "Where's Lewis when I need him?" he sat in his car thinking about Lewis and Hathaway. He knew where Lewis would be, now if he could only find Hathaway. "Robbie, ole boy, your buying me a drink."**

**MacGim drove to Hathaway's house knowing Lewis would be there searching for answers for his missing partner. Upon arriving he saw Dr. Laura Hobson's car parked on the street behind Lewis' car. He pulled his car in behind Hobson's parking directly over a large puddle.**

**MacGim cursed as he stepped into the pool of water. Shaking the excess water off his worn shoes, he reached into the back seat for the sacks of take-away food and more. MacGim knew his friend would have skipped several meals, Lewis always dropped a pound or two when he was wrapped up in a troubling case. And this case was the most troubling case, always are when a friend is involved.**

**As he approached Hathaway's front door, MacGim noticed a roll of police crime scene tape laying on a broken plant next to the door. The door was opened, cautiously he walked in listening to two familiar voices, voices of his friends. He listened but could not hear the conversation entirely. **

**MacGim quietly walked into the kitchen, he could see Lewis and Hobson looking at something. The prevailing light of the long day caused shadows preventing him from seeing anything clearly in kitchen nor in the living room. With a sneaky smile growing across his mustache face, MacGim turned the lights on brightly in both rooms.**

"**Can I shed some light on the subject?" He joked. Laura and Robbie jumped. The overhead room lights blinded them. MacGim's laugh was loud, loud enough to cause Percy to bark next door.**

"**MacGim!" startled Lewis snapped. "What the h...?"**

"**Who's the baby in uniform?" he asked pointing to young PC Bell.**

**Laura looked at the sleeping form on Hathaway's couch. She could not believe how young Bell looked. "He looks like a child," she thought out loud.**

"**Is he old enough to be on the force?" MacGim took a closer look at Bell. "My grandson looks older and he's still in middle school. Are you sure he's a cop?"**

"**Leave the lad sleeping, MacGim," Lewis warned. "He's been here all day standing around waiting for someone to acknowledge his existence. And yes he's old enough, I checked," Lewis added. He too did not believe a baby face boy was eighteen years old.**

"**I must be getting old because the new recruits are looking too young to be off the teat." MacGim walked into the entrance way and pick up the bags from Tesco and the Off-Licence shop.**

"**I been here for over a minute and you're a typical English man, Lewis, you never offer a thirsty Scotsman a drink. I'd figure you'd be out so I brought my own." He proudly holds up a bag and pulls out a bottle of whiskey. "Here you go, las," he hands Laura the bottle and pulled from a Tesco bag a package of disposable cups. "Thought I bring my own glasses, too. Figuring how this is a crime scene and such."**

**He poured a round of drinks. "How about a bite to eat with our lovely drinks? I didn't know what to get so I bought a bit of everything." MacGim handed a foil pan of take away to Laura and another one to Lewis. **

"**Did I hear someone mention food?" Young PC Ball sat up stretching on the couch. "I'm starved. Can I have some?" He sounded like a hungry little boy in a Dickens novel. **

"**If nothing else, lad, your hearing is great and you have excellent since of timing," MacGim cheerfully welcomed the new comer to the table.**

"**What did he say," not understanding MacGim's thick Scottish accent.**

"**You must forgive DI MacGim, he sometimes needs sub-titles," Lewis teased as he motioned to a chair at the kitchen table. "Eat, Lad you must by hungry."**

**The four sat at the table munching on the food MacGim bought at Tesco and washing the food down with beer and whiskey. "MacGim, you're welcomed to come visit me anytime if you always bring this much food and drinks," Laura flirted.**

"**Ah, pretty las, I might take you upon that offer. I never travel without a bit of food and drink," he said between mouthfuls. "Oh, you'd never guess what happened. You missed it, Robbie," Laura and Lewis looked at the short Scotsman busting at the seams with excitement. "Slippery Glosgow is having a nice chat with IA, courtesy of Chief Superintendent Innocent."**

"**What?" asked Lewis disbelieving the news. "What happened? How?"**

"**Drink up my friends. This is a cause for celebration," MacGim toasted. The four took long drinks from their cups. "All I know is IA was escorting Glasgow out the station house and to a waiting car. And they were not too gentle with old Slippery," he up turned his cup and empty the contents in his mouth. "Ahhhhh, good stuff."**

"**Morse never trusted Liam Glasgow," Lewis reminisced about his former governor. He look at the opened bookshelf and all the items found on the hidden shelf. "Do you think he had anything..." He pondered.**

**MacGim and Laura followed Lewis to the pile of newspaper clippings, files and other items found hidden behind the large bookshelf. Full, PC Bell once again fell asleep on Hathaway's comfortable couch. **

**The night quickly passed as Lewis, Hobson and MacGim read through the clippings and files. A clock on Hathaway's mantel chimed midnight. Not phased by the lateness of the hour, the three friends continued to search for clues to their friends whereabouts. Each one jotted down relevant information. They did not talk much, just concentrated.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Jean Innocent finally arrived at the station house, her car was to be towed back later. She pick up a loaner vehicle from the station garage and once again drove around aimlessly. This time she frequently checked the fuel gauge. Jean needed to talk to someone. She knew who and where that someone would be.**

**When Innocent arrived at Hathaway's house, she saw MacGim's, Dr. Hobson's, Lewis' and Hathaway's automobiles parked in the driveway and lining the street. She parked her car in front of Mrs. O'Malley's house blocking the driveway. **

"**The old bat does not own a car, she does not need to use the driveway." Innocent justified. She climbed out of the loaner car and stepped into a puddle. "Great!" She moaned. Jean reached to the passenger's seat for the pizza and soda she picked up. **

**The front door was ajar, she pushed the door opened more and quietly walked in. She could not hear any voices. All she heard was the mantel clock chimes ringing in the new day. **

**Entering the kitchen Jean saw MacGim, Hobson and Lewis sitting at the table reading and taking notes. She quietly cleared her throat to get their attention.**

"**Sorry to intrude, but..." Jean held the pizza as an offering. Her tired and exhausted eyes added years. **

"**Chief Innocent," Lewis leaped out of his chair and approached her. "We, uhmm... we found something." He gestured toward the table.**

"**I guess the pizza is not needed," Innocent said as she placed the pizza and soda on the counter next to the empty trays of take away. **

"**Pizza?" PC Bell bolted from the couch. "I'm starved. Can I have some?" His excitement faded quickly when he saw Chief Innocent. "Uh, sorry Ma'am. I'll get back to watch," he said with a sad pitiful face as he walked toward the front door.**

"**Rowan, you're off duty. Eat," Chief Innocent pushed the pizza toward the young PC. He beamed and eagerly took two large slices of pizza, a bottle of soda and headed toward the couch to eat.**

"**Is he old enough..." Jean whispered. Lewis smiled and mouthed yes. He then directed her attention toward the table.**

"**We found these newspaper clippings, files, letters and photos hidden behind the bookcase," Lewis explained. **

"**What is all this," Jean asked looking at the scattered pile on the table.**

"**Most of the newspaper clippings are about PC Kindly murder," Lewis described the contents on the table. "Pictures of the crime scene. James' thoughts on the case. And," he held up Hathaway's journal. "He's blamed himself all these years."**

"**But why?" Jean questioned. She knew some on the answer. "Glasgow!"**

"**James guessed Glasgow was protecting Jimmy Fitzroy. He never believed Fitzroy killed himself," Laura paraphrased. She read every page in James' journal. She felt his pain, his sorrow and anger. **

"**He didn't. Glasgow confessed to me today after the meeting. The dirty Bastard," Jean growled. **

**Laura, MacGim, Lewis and Bell were shocked to hear their Chief call the Chief Constable a Bastard. Something Lewis and MacGim knew for years. Something Morse knew long time ago.**

"**Fitzroy escaped from Broadmoor," Jean carefully chose her words. "Glasgow released that murder to his family."**

"**What's IA going to do with Glasgow," MacGim questioned. "And where is Fitzroy?"**

"**Glasgow is slick. He'll get one his buddies to save him," fumed Jean. **

"**He'll probably come out of this with a promotion," Lewis grumbled.**

"**There's an all points out for Jimmy, but I fear he's been free too long," she continued. "I sent a team to Lord Fitzroy's estate to search for his grandson." **

"**Where did they find Kindly?" asked Bell.**

"**James found her at an abandoned WWll airfield near Faringdon," Laura answered. "Why?"**

"**Well, if I was searching for answers to a murder..." Bell began.**

"**By God, lad," MacGim exclaimed. He leaped from his chair and grabbed his coat. Lewis, Hobson, Innocent followed. Bell sat at the table alone and baffled. **

"**Well, don't sit there. Come on," Innocent called from the front door inviting the young PC to join them. **

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	19. Chapter 19

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**Chapter 19**

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**James attempted to open his eyes, cautiously he opened one keeping the other one closed. He closed the eye quickly because the offensive bright light caused his head to throb more, if that was possible. "AGGHH," he moaned painfully as he threw his arm over his head to block out the light.**

**Slowly he finally realize he was able to move his arms and legs. James turned his aching body onto his right side causing even more pain. Whatever held him down earlier was now gone. He was free to move around.**

**Pushing past the pain he rolled onto his hands and knees. "AGGGHH!" James screamed in pain. He tossed aside something sharp he held in his hand. James sat down on the cold dirty floor to examine his lacerated hand.**

**At last he was able to open his eyes without his head exploding. James looked at his hand, but his eyes would not focus. He blinked several times, but his sight stayed fuzzy. However, he could see something resembling blood on his hands. He felt the stickiness of blood on his hands. Horrified, he looked at the rest of his body and he could see what he thought was blood on both his hands, his bare chest, bare legs and bare-feet. **

"**No! No! What...? What have I done?" he screamed. He climbed to his unsteady weak legs. James felt light headed and nauseous. The out of focus room before him began to spin, he put his bloody hands to his head to stop the spinning. He fell hard to his knees and placed his forehead on the cool floor.**

"**Oh no, no! Please forgive me, please," Jame begged. He rocked back and forth pleading for forgiveness. He collapsed back onto the floor horrified at what he saw. **

"**Oh no, no, no...," he screamed loud in terror. He started to crawl backwards on his feet and hands pushing away from the body he saw laying before him. "NOOOOO!" James crawled fast screaming. **

**He never looked where he was going he never saw what he hit. His body slammed hard against an opened metal locker causing an avalanche of old rusty debris to fall. His muffled screams ceased. **

**-l-l-l-**

**The early morning traffic pulled to the side of the road letting the speeding car with flashing emergency lights pass. Dr. Hobson, Lewis and PC Bell sat in the backseat of Innocent's loaner car. MacGim's broad shoulders would have crowded the others if he sat in the backseat. So, he automatically sat up front with Innocent driving. He wished he sat in the back, her driving was scaring him.**

"**Shouldn't you slow down, Ma'am." MacGim advised. "We do want to arrive in one piece."**

**Chief Innocent glared at him. "MacGim," she warned. **

**Laura leaned over to Lewis and whispered, "And you thought I drove fast?" She teased. **

**Before Lewis could respond two mobiles began to ring. Laura fumbled in her pocket for her's and Chief Innocent handed her mobile for MacGim to answer.**

"**Chief Superintendent Innocent's mobile. DI Wyndham MacGim speaking," MacGim sounding so boisterous and serious. He listened to the caller. "Chief, it's PC Russell from High Wycombe. There's been a murder at Wycombe Hills Sanatorium," He reported.**

**Sighing deeply, "I'm sorry, we need to head over to High Wycombe." Disappointed Innocent slowed the car to change lanes for the next turn off. She silently cursed the timing of the call.**

"**Jean," Laura reported. "I got the same call. Can we ride together?"**

"**We'll all go. I'll need an inspector to open the case," Innocent decided. "That will be you, MacGim."**

**The M40 was packed with going to work traffic. Many drivers did not see or ignored the flashing emergency lights on Innocent's car. Fuming Jean turned on the loud siren causing the drivers to instantly slow and move out of their way. They arrived at Wycombe Hills Sanatorium in record time. MacGim silently thanked Chief Innocent's fast driving. **

**The sanatorium car park was crowded with press, police, ambulances and fire brigade. Innocent pulled their car upon the curb to park leaving the hazard lights flashing. **

**Dr. Hobson walked to the forensic van, her team had all ready unloaded most of the necessary equipment. A High Wycombe PC handed the newly arrived Chief and her team each crime scene coveralls. PC Bell followed the others closely, he did what they did taking mental note on everything.**

**PC Russell started to update Innocent on the crime as they dressed into the disposable coveralls. He told her about the witnesses, about the murder a doctor and about the injured nurse. He showed her a photograph of the suspect seen leaving the sanatorium with a bloody knife, a patient name Mr. Smith. **

**Innocent did not hear anything else Russell said. She studied the photograph disbelieving. "How long has this man been a patient here?" Innocent demanded.**

"**I don't know. Nurse Swan knows," bewildered at the abruptness of Chief Innocent, Russell could only point to a gray haired nurse sitting in the back of an ambulance. **

**Innocent pulled Lewis to one side, "Robbie, look." Was all she could say.**

**She shoved the photograph into Lewis' hand.**

"**James?" questioned Lewis. "Looks like him, a little. But I..."**

"**They say this man was the one with the knife," Jean confided taping on the picture. "I'm not completely convinced this is Hathaway, Robbie."**

**Lewis and Innocent walk toward Nurse Swan. Neither one knew where to begin. If indeed the patient in the photograph was James, then they could not handle this case. They could only hope the patient was a lookalike and not their missing friend.**

**Taking the lead Innocent questioned the traumatized nurse. "Tell me about this man," Innocent held the photograph to the nurse.**

"**Who are you?" angrily the nurse snapped defensively at the woman demanding answers.**

"**I'm Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent and this is DI Lewis," Innocent calmly introduced themselves. "Can you please tell me about this man?"**

"**I'm Nurse Sarah Swan. I'm … I was Dr. Erik Wills private nurse. Was his nurse for ten years," she explained with a shaking voice. "This man arrived early yesterday morning. He didn't know his name. He had no ID. All he was wearing was a pair of men undergarments. We gave his a patient name of Mr. Smith."**

**Sarah shuttered and took a deep breath to continue. Tears soaked her face. "He was violent. He attacked Erik yesterday, sending two orderlies to the hospital." She continued to tell the officers all she knew about Mr. Smith. **

"**Did he say anything?" Lewis asked.**

"**He ranted about being some famous American writer. I can't remember the name," Sarah tried to be specific. She was trying to keep her emotions under control, but was failing. "We sedated and restrained Mr. Smith to a bed in the room where...," she stopped and tried to suppress her cry.**

"**It's all right," Innocent soothed. "We can continue this when you are feeling better."**

"**No, I'm all right. Just give me a couple," she took a drink of water Lewis offered. Clearing her through Sarah continued. "A couple times I heard Mr. Smith calling out a name in his sleep."**

"**Who's name did he call?" Lewis pressed for more answers. Hoping for the one clue that would prove this murderer was not his partner.**

"**I don't remembering, but it should be on the recording," Sarah started to stand but she felt too weak to move. "In the security office.."**

"**You mean to tell us there are video and audio recordings of the patients in their rooms?" Hoping for a yes, Lewis leaned closer pressing for a quick answer.**

"**Of course. We record to learn about our patients," Sarah defended. "Dr. Wills had cameras placed in every room," She did not finish because Lewis and Innocent left racing toward the entrance of the sanatorium.**

**-l-l-l-**


	20. Chapter 20

**-l-l-l-**

**Chapter 20**

**-l-l-l-**

**James was unable to open his eyes, the eyelids would not move. He felt no pain, the pain in his hand was gone. His head no longer hurt. He tried to move, once again he felt tied down. Unable to move his legs nor his arms he now was unable to move his head. He could not scream for help.**

**Feeling trapped, James started to panic. The harder he tried to move the harder breathing got for him. He felt a heavy weight crushing his chest. The more he fought to free himself the heavier the weight sat on his chest.**

**James forced himself to calm down, he focused on taking shallow breaths. Anything deeper caused pain. Slowly he could feel himself relax, but he still could not move. **

**He became alarmed and start to breath faster when he felt blood seeping from his head, gradually moving down his face. Once again he tried to move but only causing more panic. Breathing became harder as the weight on his chest increased, slowly squishing the life out of him.**

**Then something strange happened, James could hear something moving, but he could not see. He could hear clicking noises scurrying around him. Then he felt something moist and warm move his hand. Whatever was touching his hand calmed him. **

**He could feel soft hair gently tickling his hand. James' breathing returned to the shallow breaths and the pressure on his chest did not increase. His trapped body slowly relaxed and only then was he able to sleep. James actually felt safe and no longer alone.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Chief Innocent, Inspector Lewis and PC Bell hurried toward the front entrance of Wycombe Hills Sanatorium. They wanted to see the tape recordings of patient Smith's room. They wanted to prove to themselves, James was not Mr. Smith.**

**Suddenly feeling something tug at the back of his mind and hearing his more experienced inner voice, Lewis halted in his tracks. Innocent also stopped. PC Bell had to quickly move to the side, to keep from bumping into the senior officers. **

"**I'm sorry, Jean, but..." Lewis tried to explain, but there is never any way to explain your inner voice.**

"**I know. Take my car," she handed him the keys. "Bell, go with him. And Robbie, call me when you find James." She too felt something.**

**Lewis took the keys, "I don't know where to.." He had no idea where James found PC Kindly.**

"**I do," PC Rowan Bell piped up. "My grandfather took me the old airfield there several times. And I remember that Quonset hut." Rowan was thrilled to be involved.**

**The two jogged to Innocent's loaner car and drove to the former WWll airfield. The 50 mile drive took less time than normal, Lewis drove with full emergency lights and sirens and his foot to the floor. The traffic obediently moved out of their way.**

**The long morning had past noon when Lewis and Bell arrived at the airfield between Faringdon and Shellingford. The tall hedges hid the old rusty Quonset hut. Lewis turned onto an old grass road off A417 slowly driving his car close to an abandon building.**

"**James found Kindly there," questioned Lewis pointed toward a derelict Quonset hut. **

"**Yes Sir. Most of the old airfield is now that quarry," Rowan pointed to the cloud of white dust floating above a pit several yards away from the hut. "Only a few Quonset huts remain. This building was larger a few years back, but now most of it has been knocked or torn down." He continued to update Lewis on the history of former Shellingford airfield. **

**They cautiously walked toward the Quonset hut hoping to begin their search. Lewis could hear a dog barking in the distance. They shined their torches into the dark building chasing the shadows away in search for any clues to James' whereabouts.**

**Vines grew inside and on top of the old hut that once housed pilots training for the war. Now the place only housed ghosts, dust, rust and wild animals. Lewis ventured deeper into the building, his heart began to sink he could see no signs of anyone being in the building for years. **

**They could hear the dog barking closer to them now, but the sound was muffled. PC Bell closed his eyes turning his head in hopes to hear which direction the barking was coming from. "I think the dog is over there behind that wall, Sir," Bell illuminated a collapsed wall.**

"**I'm looking for James, Bell, not a bloody dog," Lewis scolded. He moved some debris around looking underneath everything. **

**_'Thankfully the dog has stopped barking,'_ thought Lewis. But, he spoke too soon. The barking was loud and in the same room as him and Bell.**

"**Come on, boy. Here boy," Bell attempted to coax the dog to him. The mangy dog ignored Bell and raced toward Lewis. The dog barked and twirled around trying to get Lewis' attention. "Here boy," continued Bell's coaxing.**

**Lewis looked at the dog and noticed it was a girl. "Better check again, Bell. That boy is a girl," Lewis teased. He looked into her eyes and felt something or someone calling to him. "Okay girl, show me where to go." **

**The dog jumped and barked with joy then ran out an opening. Lewis and Bell climbed through a larger opening to the back of the old Quonset hut. They could see the dirty brown dog crawling into an opening on the other end of the hut. She barked begging the men to follow her but they were too large.**

"**Look around to see if you can find a way in," Lewis instructed Bell. He poked his head to the opening to look, all Lewis could see was acollapsed wall. He assumed the other side of the wall was where they had been. He swung the torch into every corner, to the broken ceiling and scanned the floor. Nothing.**

"**I can't find a way in, Sir," Bell came back winded. **

**Lewis' heart sank and he slowly got up off the ground. He was about to give up when the dog started barking louder and more aggressively. This time Lewis laid flat on his belly placing his arms above his head the squeezed his head and shoulders through the small opening, but his hips stuck.**

"**Oh gawd I'm stuck. Bell, help me," Lewis huffed as he tried to pull the rest of his body through the opening. "Push on my arse, if you have to. I give you permission."**

**Bell, pushed with no luck. Lewis could feel the rusty metal scratching his hips. **

"**I got an idea, Sir. Take your pants off," Bell suggested. "I'll undo your belt and maybe you can crawl out of them. Taking your pants off will make a bit less to push through."**

**Lewis could feel his face turn red at the suggestion, but he would try anything. The dog lay on the ground in front of Lewis patiently waiting for him.**

"**Oh all right," Lewis conceded. "Anything to get out of this hole."**

**Bell unbuckled Lewis' belt and pulled the pants off his hips. This gave Lewis enough room to squeeze the rest of the way through the tight hole. The tin scratched his hips drawing blood, but Lewis didn't care.**

**Lewis pulled his legs and pants through and stood to his feet to dress. "Ouch!" Lewis yelped when he banged his head on a low hanging object. A cloud of dust fell around him, causing the building to moan threatening to collapse around Lewis and the dog.**

"**You all right, Sir" Bell poked his head and crawled through the opening effortlessly. **

"**Show off," Lewis glared at Bell standing beside him. "There was a time I could crawled through a small opening without having strip", he griped.**

**They stood still looking around the room. The building creaked and moaned with every step they made. "Okay, girl show me the way. Show me to James," Lewis encourage the dog. **

**She led the men to the collapsed wall where she laid down and whined. Lewis' heart cried as he looked at the mess of metal and trash. He feared if anyone was underneath that rubble they would not be alive.**

**The men inspected the rubble. Lewis knelt down to look at the bottom for any signs of life. "HELLO," he shouted. Nothing but the moaning building. He pointed the torch light around when caught a glimpse of something. Lewis held his breath as he moved the light back toward what he saw.**

"JAMES," he shouted excitedly. Lewis started to dig at the debris with his bare hands when the pile started to shift. Bell pulled Lewis back away from the wall. "Wait! NO!" Lewis shouted to him.

"**Sir, we can't. Look," Bell pointed to the top of the weak wall. "If move anything that wall will come down. We need experienced people to do this, Sir."**

**Realizing the young PC was right Lewis nodded his head in agreement "James, we'll get you out. I won't go anywhere," Lewis shouted encouragement. "Get outside and start calling in the locals and I'll call Innocent," he ordered Bell.**

**Lewis speed dialed Chief Innocent's mobile however …**

"**Chief Superintendent Innocent's mobile. DI Wyndham MacGim speaking," MacGim answered. He still had her phone. **

"**We found him, MacGim," Lewis shouted with joy. He did not care who answered. "Put Innocent on."**

"**Chief Innocent, it's Lewis. They found James," the Scotsman announced to everyone.**

**Confused Innocent did not completely understand his thick accent. Then a wide grin instantly grew on her face. "What! Give me that," she yank the mobile from his large hand. "Lewis, is he all right?" She held her breath waiting for the answer. MacGim was standing close to her trying to listen. His whiskers tickled her hand as he tried to move closer.**

"**Wait Robbie," she put the phone on speaker. "Go ahead. Where did you find him?"**

"**We found him in the old Quonset hut like Bell thought. However," Lewis paused to catch his breath and to swallow the growing lump in his throat. **

"**There always has to be a 'however'," Innocent mumbled and rolled her eyes. Her fingers ached from crossing them. "However, What?" She snapped.**

**Lewis swallowed and cleared his throat. "He's trapped under a fallen wall and other debris. I have Bell calling in a rescue team."**

"**Is he alive?" Laura shouted, standing beside Innocent listening.**

"**I'm not sure. I can't see him very good," Lewis explained.**

"**Then how do you know it's Hathaway," Innocent asked. Everyone was disappointed.**

"**I just know, Ma'am. It's James I know," he defended his reasons. **

"**Before I drive out there Robbie I want to know for sure," Innocent insisted. She could not leave one crime scene for another without a good reason.**

"**Ma'am I know it's James," he laid down to shine the light back on the bit of fabric that confirmed it was James. "I can see those crazy ducky boxers he got last Christmas at the station house party. I recognize them anywhere, Ma'am."**

**MacGim smiled at the memory of the gift exchange last Christmas. Everyone laughed at those ridiculously bright yellow ducky boxers. "I'm on my way," Laura said as she started to strip off the crime scene coveralls.**

"**We all are," Innocent added. "Finish up here for me, Russell." **

**PC Russell gulped in disbelief. He was being handed a major crime scene by the Chief Superintendent herself. "Yes Ma'am. I'll report directly to you, Ma'am," his voice sounded unsure of himself.**

"**You will be fine, PC Russell," Innocent reassured him. "I'll call in a DI to take over." She added as they drove away.**

"**Hey wait!" he shouted. "That's my car. She took my car." **

**-l-l-l-**


	21. Chapter 21

**-l-l-l-**

**Chapter 21**

**-l-l-l-**

"**They're on the way, Sir," Bell knelt beside Lewis. He pet the stray dog massaging her ears. She still laid down at the bottom of the crumpled wall. "How's he doing?" Bell asked.**

"**I can see his hand, but not much else," Lewis fumed. "What's taking them so bloody long?" He knew not much time lapsed since they arrived at the old airfield, but he felt the need to vent.**

**Lewis could hear sirens and throbbing sound of an approaching helicopter. "They're arriving now. I'll be right back," Bell slipped through the small opening with ease. **

"**They're here, James," Lewis called to his friend. He smiled at the dog, she perked her ears and tilted her head. Lewis heard too. "JAMES, I'm right here," he heard James calling his name.**

**-l-l-l-**

**James could hear voices, he thought he heard Lewis calling his name, but he was not sure if he was dreaming. If he was dreaming, the dream was very painful. He tried to call to them, but the words would not leave his body. His throat was too dry and each time he took a shallow breath to call out a cough would come.**

**The pain was starting to come back with vengeance. He hurt everywhere, especially his legs. At least he had pain, the pain told James he was alive. He tried again to call, this time he heard a weak voice speaking, his own voice.**

**-l-l-l-**

"**In here, Sir," PC Bell directed a member of the local fire brigade into the area Lewis was waiting. Bell entered through the opening with experienced ease. "Sir, the brigade is here and a rescue team from London has also arrived. The team was training in Faringdon." The news was encouraging to Lewis.**

**The brigade captain poked his head through the hole and surveyed the surroundings. He quickly left and a small man with a large duffel style bag entered. **

"**DI Lewis, I'm Dr. Kevin Small," he introduced himself. He noticed the scruffy dog laying near the debris."Hey girl, did she find him?" He petted the dog affectionately. **

"**She led me to James," Lewis replied. "He's under that pile. We could hear him talk just a second ago. I know James is still alive."**

"**Good girl. Man's best friend," Small rubbed the dog and reached into his pocket and offered a piece of beef jerky to the dog. She eagerly took the beef but did not eat. She held the treat in her mouth waiting. "Go ahead girl you did your job now eat your reward." The dog quickly ate her beef reward and licked Small's hand, then she laid back down and whimpered.**

"**We'll get James out, Mr. Lewis. That is what we're trained to do," Small said as he inspected what was left of the crumbled wall. He crawled around the bottom of the pile burying James. All the time reporting through a headset his findings to someone outside.**

**Another person entered through the small opening, he looked around and made his way to Lewis. "DI Lewis, I'm Randell Bell, Rowan's brother," the newcomer appraised Lewis on what the team was doing to help James. "We need to get you and the puppy out of here to make more room for the other team members."**

**Lewis started to protest but Randell continued, "Small has a head cam. What he sees we see on monitors in our truck. He will place a speaker so your friend, James can hear your voice. Hearing a familiar voice keeps the victims spirits up and helps them to relax until we can get them out." The information was starting to become overwhelming to Lewis. **

"**Come on, Sir," PC Bell motioned for Lewis to follow. "They've enlarged the opening so you'll be able to slip through with no trouble, Sir."**

"**We'll follow you out, Sir," Randell held onto the dog waiting for Lewis to crawl easily through the opening. "Your turn, Girl." He gently pushed the dog through the opening into Lewis' arms.**

**Once outside Lewis was surprised to see how late the day had became. The old airfield was alive with fire trucks, ambulances, search and rescue vehicles, police cars and a helicopter waited on the old runway. And of course the ever persistent press was nosing around behind the police barricade. He could not see any sign of Innocent nor MacGim.**

**Lewis looked around at all the people that had arrived while he was inside the abandoned hut. Some people were inspecting the old Quonset hut others were waiting for orders. Many were setting up emergency equipment and generators. The generators would soon be needed to illuminate the area after dark.**

**Someone handed him a leash that had been place around the dog. Lewis looked at the scruffy puppy and realized the dog looked as sad and lonely as he felt. "He'll be okay, Girl. They'll get James out," he talked to the dog but he also needed to hear those words.**

**Randell placed his hand gently onto Lewis' elbow and steered him toward a large motorhome. The back end of the motorhome was opened, forming a ramp into the mobile command post. The large home on wheels was larger this his place. Several people were inside working: flipping switches, turning dials, writing, looking at blueprints, adjusting monitors and more. Lewis felt dizzy looking at all the commotion. **

"**We can sit in here," Randell escorted Lewis and the dog to a booth and table at one end of the motorhome. He handed Lewis a bottle of water from an icebox and package of crackers. He then reached for a bowl to give some water to the dog that settled at Lewis' feet. "Here you go Girl." The dog lapped the water up quenching her thirst.**

**Randell placed a laptop computer in front of Lewis and a headset. "You can see and hear what Dr. Small is doing. Press this button and James can hear your voice," Randell explained. "However, be very careful what you say. He might misunderstand and take something you say the wrong way causing more harm than good. If we feel James is getting upset from your conversation, then they can cut the mic." Randell pointed to a man sitting at another computer monitor.**

**Lewis was emotionally and physically exhausted. He sat quietly watching the computer monitor hoping for any glimpse of Hathaway. He was concentrating on Dr. Smith's cam feed that he failed to notice when Innocent, Hobson and MacGim arrived. **

"**Robbie, we need to talk," Innocent always sounded serious when she needed to talk. **

"**Not now," was all he said. He could hear Dr. Smith talking to James. Lewis listened hoping to hear James' voice again.**

"**This is serious, Lewis," she sternly told him. "We need to talk now."**

**-l-l-l-**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

**-l-l-l-**

**Dr. Small cautiously shifted and removed some rubble, enough to make a small tunnel to the hand he saw. "James?" Small called, "Hey James, I need you to wiggle your finger for me." He watched for any movement, none.**

**He felt for a pulse, "He has a weak but strong steady pulse." Dr. Small reported.**

"**James can you hear me?" He called again then he saw the index finger barely move. "We have movement." Small informed the command post. **

"**Good, now I need to ask you a few crazy questions, you ready?" The finger moved again. "All right, move your index finger for yes and pinky finger for no. Do you understand?" Both fingers moved. **

"**I take that as a yes," He saw the index finger move again, Small smiled. **

"**Are you James Wilkins?" a trick question but James answered correctly with his little finger. "Are you James Hathaway?" The index finger moved eagerly. **

"**Would you like to stay here or do you want us to dig you out," Small teased. James held up his middle and index finger. Small laugh and he could hear through his headset the people in the command post laughing.**

**Continuing to confirm they have James Hathaway Dr. Small asked a few more questions that only James would know. "Is your boss Halley Berry?" **

"**I wish," a weak voice answered from underneath the rubble. "Lewis is my …." Unable to speak any more he moved his small finger.**

"**Is Robert Lewis your boss," Small asked. The index finger moved, he was satisfied that this was James Hathaway.**

"**James, you're going to feel a stick in your arm," Dr. Small cleaned an area on James' arm to insert an IV. "Here comes the stick."**

James felt the sting of a needle and then he felt his arm go cold. He started to panic then he heard the doctor talk some more.

"**Your arm is going to feel cold. That is from the fluids going into your dehydrated body," the doctor continued to explain everything. James relaxed.**

"**Now, James, a word of warning as your body re-hydrates you will start to feel more pain," he warned. "Just give me a sign and I'll give you something for the pain. However, we really like to have you awake and alert for us while we dig you out." **

**James wiggled his index finger, he understood. He was starting to get anxious knowing he would soon be out. He was thinking of all the things he wanted and needed to do. He wanted to smell fresh air, taste cold water, brush his teeth, take a shower and fall asleep in his own bed. But, first he needed to apologize to his friends. **

**His was startled out of his deep thoughts of planning when he felt something or someone touching his face. James tried to move but something was holding his head. He started to panic then he relaxed when he felt something moist touch his lips.**

"**Hello, James," Dr. Small introduced himself to the buried man he could now see most of his body. "Nice to meet you face to face." He placed his hands on the sides of James' head to steady the frightened man. "Easy, James here's a bit of water for you." Small placed a wet cloth to Jame's dry cracked lips. **

"**Okay, Drake, medium collar and O2," Small ordered the medical supplies he needed for James. "Hey, also check that IV change the bag if needed." **

"**Ready and done," Michael Drake all ready had the needed items ready and he placed a fresh bag of saline onto James' IV. He was a former army medic and worked on many rescues with Dr. Small. He knew what was needed and always had items ready before Small requested them. **

**Small pulled the rope attached to the collar and portable O2 tank. "James, I'm going to place this collar around your neck," gently he brushed away the dirt and debris from James' neck. Then carefully placed the collar immobilizing James' neck, preventing any further neck injuries. **

**He washed around James' mouth. "I'm going to look into your mouth James to check for broken teeth then give you some oxygen," the doctor check and placed the O2 mask on him. "All done. Nice teeth. This should make breathing easier." He noticed the color starting to come back to James' face, which is always a good sign.**

**Small continued to clean around James' face, washing his eyes. "James, can you open your eyes?" **

**James' eyes fluttered and blinked several times. Small washed the eyes more with sterile water, cleaning out the dirt. **

**James tried to thank Small but only coughed. He was thrilled to finally be able to open his eyes without pain. He could see a shadowed face, a much welcomed site to him. **

"**Your welcomed. Can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up," he questioned.**

"**Two," James weakly answered with a smile.**

"**Correct. Now I'm going to place some stuff in your eyes and tape them shut," the doctor slowly squeezed a tube of ointment into James' eyes and place a wad of gauze over each eye. "I know you prefer to see, but this will prevent anything falling into your eyes while we get you out of here."**

**Disappointed, James start to panic. He wanted to see, he tried to move his hands but both arms were still trapped. He tried to move his head but the damn collar would not let him. His breathing started to come in short painful pants. He felt even more trapped with his eye taped shut.**

"**Easy, James," Small tried to calm his patient down. "Lewis is here, listen." He put an ear piece to James' ear.**

James listened, he could hear Lewis but not clearly. He concentrated on trying to hear his boss' voice. Slowly he calmed down and his breathing slowed. He began to relax.

**-l-l-l-**

**Innocent motioned for PC Bell to leave them alone. His brother Randell also left. When she knew they were alone Innocent sat across the table from Lewis. Laura sat next to him and MacGim stood beside the table with his arms folded across his chest.**

"He's not dead, so you don't have to look so glum," Lewis tried to lighten the mood. "What!"

"**The nurse that was attacked identified her attacker and Dr. Wills' killer," Innocent pause trying to form her next dreaded words. "In a photo.. We showed her.."**

"**Oh for Pete's sake," MacGim finished what Innocent could not say. "The nurse picked Hathaway's photograph. She swears that James was Mr. Smith the amnesiac patient that killed Wills and stabbed her."**

Lewis could hardly believe what they were saying. "She's mistaken! James could not have killed anyone. He was buried right here over fifty miles away," Lewis raised his voice and pounded his index finger on the table. He was in complete shock to think they were accusing James of murder. "You're wrong."

**He turned to Laura, his eyes begging her to agree with him. All she could do was bow her head. He noticed her eyes were red and her face was wet from crying. Quickly, Laura bolted from the table and out of the command post.  
**

**Lewis started to follow but MacGim put his hand on his shoulder, "I'll go." He narrow his eyes to Innocent and turned away.**

"**Robbie, I don't believe James killed anyone," once again she searched for her words. "But, there is an eyewitness."**

"We know what an eyewitness is worth!" He defended, "What evidence do _you_ have against James?" 

**Innocent sighed heavily, "A side from the eyewitnesses and CCTV there are several descriptions all fitting James."**

"**I don't give a damn what they say," Lewis stood up and leaned angrily toward Innocent. "This is Glasgow's fault, that bastard!"  
**

"**The average healthy man can walk two miles per hour," PC Bell poked his face to an open window behind Innocent. "In the 2008 Olympics a man ran a 100 meters under ten seconds his average speed was 23 MPH." He smiled and then he was gone from the window.**

"**It's 46 miles from High Wycombe to here if you drive the M40," MacGim's face appeared in the window. "Not that we're listening to your conversation." Then he was gone.**

"**I don't think James can run that fast nor walk that far," Laura popped up to the window and then quickly was gone.**

"**He didn't do it," he defended James adamantly.**

**Innocent thought deeply. "No he didn't," relieved to finally know for a fact James was not Mr. Smith. But who and where was the killer, Mr. Smith?**

**The Bell brothers, Hobson and MacGim returned to the table. "You're a walking encyclopedia," Innocent smarted to PC Bell.**

"**No Ma'am, Wikipedia," Bell joked.**

"**Wiki what?" questioned Lewis. He did not listen for an answer because he heard Dr. Small say his name. Lewis looked at the laptop monitor and saw the face of his friend. He could see James was struggling and he could hear Dr. Small trying to calm him.**

"**Hey, James," Lewis called into the microphone.**

"**Press this button," Randell reminded Lewis. **

"**James," Lewis called again. He could not think what to say.**

**He could see James calming. Randell encouraged him to say anything to keep the trapped man calm. **

**-l-l-l-**

"**Hey I think you owe me a pint," Lewis teased then he felt like an idiot. He looked at Randell who was giving him two thumbs up and encouraging him to say more. "In fact I think you owe all of us a pint or two or three."**

**James listened to Lewis and smiled. "Deal," was all he could say. **

"**James," Dr. Small interrupted. "I'm going to check you over to see what we need to do to get you home." Small eased his small framed body close to James, running his hands over James' abdomen and legs. "Tell me if anything really hurts, James." **

**He continued to talk and calling James by his name. He learned from past rescues calling trapped victims by their name relaxes them. They know someone cares and is trying to help even if no one can help or if the help is too late. **

**James could feel Small's hands gently palpitated his body. He inhaled sharply when Small touched his stomach. "There," James hissed through pain clinched teeth. "Aghh," he cried and tried to lift his head to look, only realizing his neck was restrained and his eyes were covered.**

"**Easy, James," Small tenderly touched around James' navel and felt a piece of rebar pressing hard against the stomach. "Guys, we have a 1/4" piece of ****reinforcement steel pressing but not penetrating the abdomen****," he informed the rescue team. **

"**No hole, James," Small tried to easy James' mind. "Just stay still." He continued to frisk the rest of James' body when he touch the leg James screamed.**

**Small felt another piece of reinforcement steel, this time piercing James' thigh. "Okay, James be still, I need to feel around your leg," Small felt the thigh and underneath. He felt his gloved hands getting slippery from the blood James was loosing.**

"**Hurry up!" James panted. He was feeling hot and could feel his head starting to swim. "Stop PLEASE STOP." James begged.**

"**Okay James I'm done," Dr. Small crawled back to James' head and replaced the bloodied gloves with a fresh pair. "James, I'm not going to lie to you," Small explained. "You have a piece of rebar stuck in your leg. I can't remove it, it's too close to an artery."**

**James held his breath. He knew if an artery was nicked then he would bleed to death before the doctor could help. "Okay," was all he could say.**

"**Good Lad. Just lay still and everything should be all right," Small gave James a pep talk. "They're starting to remove the big stuff off you, James. When we get you uncovered then we can cut the rebar and you'll be on your way to the hospital."**

"**How long?" James asked through the pain. "It hurts." **

"**Not long," this time Dr. Small lied, he did not know how long the removal of the debris covering James would take. "James, I'm going to put a wad of gauze between the steel pressing on you and your stomach. I'm also going to bandage around your thigh. I'm sorry but this will hurt, a lot. If you want I can give you something to take the edge off the pain."**

"**No, no drugs," he moaned. James squeezed his taped eyes tight trying to fight the pain. **

**Dr. Small gingerly place a thick piece of padding underneath the rebar pressing on James' stomach keep the sharp rusty steel off the bare flesh. Then he moved to the thigh. Slowly and gently he wrapped James' leg. He could feel James tightening up his muscles. "Try to relax, James," he continued to work as fast as he dared. "Almost done." **

**Beads of sweat poured off his forehead. "Hurry, I feel sick," James moaned. He swallowed trying to push back the growing lump he had in his throat. James moaned more as the pain increased in his leg and stomach.**

"**Almost done, James," Small coaxed. "Try to breath through the pain." He encourage James, but he was too late. **

**James started to panic. "I'm...," he coughed. He could not turn his head to spit out the foul tasting liquid creeping up the back of his throat. The oxygen mask covering his mouth and nose filled with vomit. He tried to cough but gagged and spewed more. His body heaved involuntarily from lack of oxygen. **

"**James breath through your nose," Small scurried backwards to get back up to James' head. He tried to hold him still but James continued to thrash and kick. "Easy, I'm here. Calm down," he kept talking, trying to sooth James. **

**A hand appeared next to Dr. Small's side handing him the much needed portable suction hose. "Thanks, Drake," he took the hose and started to clean the vomit. "Easy James. You're all right, try to take a breath."**

**The ringing in his ears muffled Dr. Small's voice. James tried to breath but his lungs burned and would not work. His body slowly stopped moving and James slowly drifted away.**

"**Shit SHIT! NO! James. BREATH, DAMN IT," Dr. Small crawled to James' chest. As expected Drake had the defibrillator ready.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Lewis held his breath as he listened to Dr. Small describe James' condition. The medical terms confused and scared them all. They turned to Dr. Hobson for answers and translations. **

"**He's breathing on his own," she explained. "He unconscious, but stable." Tears washed her face. Randell place another tissue box on the table for them to use.**

**The dog moved to the seat between Laura and Lewis. She too wanted to see her friend. She laid her head and front paws on the table watching the monitor. Innocent looked at the mangy dog and swore it was praying. **

**Lewis started to leave when Randell stopped him. "Talk to him, Robbie. That is the best thing you can do for James," he knew waiting was harder. "Just don't talk like he's not going to make it. Talk about the dog. Sports. His girlfriend. Work. Whatever."**

**Lewis took a deep breath, he squeezed his eyes tight and wiped the tears away. "Okay," he whispered and cleared his throat. "Hey James, have you thought about what you'll name your new dog? She's sitting right her next to me and Laura waiting for you." He continued to talk about different things. Lewis did not know if James could hear him, but the talking did help him and the others. **

**They all listened to Dr. Small and the removal crew. Time slowly passed. The generators kicked to life illuminating the old Quonset hut. More people arrived to relieve the crew. A Red Cross truck pulled in and started handing out much needed coffee and sandwiches.**

**Lewis kept talking his voice grew hoarse. Laura listened to Dr. Small describe James' deteriorating condition. Time was running out.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Small and Drake worked diligently together to stabilize James. Small applied a pressure bandage to the thigh, he could do nothing else but rip the reinforcement steel out of James' thigh. Luckily the metal was not deep. The bandage stopped the bleeding giving them more time to dig.**

**They could hear the metal scrapping and creaking as the rescue team removed each piece. Dust drifted down causing the doctor and medic to cover James and themselves with a tarp. Small kept glancing at his watch. **

"**No matter how many times I do this, Michael, it never gets easier," Small reminisced. Michael nodded in agreement. He started to say something but stopped the metal above them began to moan and shift. **

**Past experience warned them all Hell was about to break loose. They instinctively covered their heads protecting James the best they could and waited for the inevitable to happen. Praying they would survive. **

**The crew outside stopped and listened to the metal groan. They held their collective breaths. Suddenly the pile collapsed in on it's self and the remaining standing walls folded like an accordion. Then silence. **

**-l-l-l-**


	23. Chapter 23

**-l-l-l-**

**Chapter 23**

**-l-l-l-**

**Lewis watched the monitor in horror as the old building collapsed, burying his friend more. He looked out the window disbelieving what he saw. His mouth hung open but no words could describe what he was feeling.**

**Everyone in the mobile command post fell silent, no one moved. Then in a blink of the eye, everyone jumped into action. **

**The senior ERT officer, Chief Powell, was the only one giving orders. "Everyone return to your assigned duty station for head count," he shouted into his headset. "I want damage reports. Any word from Small?" **

**Someone responded, "Nothing Sir."**

"**Keep trying. Let me know the minute you hear anything anything," Powell left the command post to assess the remains of the Quonset hut.**

**Lewis, Innocent, Hobson, MacGim, the dog and the Bell brothers followed. Randell stayed at their side telling explaining to them what was happening and what the next steps would be. He's seen this happen before, sometimes it ends well and other times it is just the end. **

"**All accounted for, Sir," an ERT member reported the news to Powell. He started to reply when everyone herd a whistle blow.**

"**Twitttt...Twitttt...Twitttt..," the whistle sound originated from the rubble. "Twitttt...Twitttt...Twitttt..," it repeated. A loud cheer erupted from everyone. James' friends looked around wondering what the celebration was about.**

"**Their alive," Randell beamed shaking Lewis joyfully. "You see each blow of the whistle.." **

"**HOONNKKK... HOONNKKK... HOONNKKK," a loud horn blew three times responding to the buried whistle.**

"**Like I was saying each blow of the whistle tells us how many are alive," Randell held his whistle to prove to Lewis. "Three blows. James, Kevin and Michael are alive."**

**-l-l-l-**

"**Drake? Drake?" Dr. Small called. "Damn it answer me."**

"**I will, just as soon as you get your foot off my chest," Michael Drake moaned. He shoved Small's foot off him. "You know, for a short man you've got big ass feet."**

"**You hurt?" The doctor questioned. **

"**No. How's he doing," Drake nodded toward James. He could see the doctor checking the trapped man.**

"**Alive," the doctor felt a week pulse from James. "Can you get through to them? My headset's broken," Small asked. **

**Drake shook his head. He fished his emergency whistle out and blew long and hard. The shrill noise almost burst their eardrums, but it was necessary. They waited for a response and finally Small and Drake heard the loud honk from the command post motorhome. "They know we're alive," Drake tucked his trusty whistle away in his shirt.**

**Small's eyes grew wide when he saw the growing pool of blood on James' abdomen. "Hand me," Dr. Small took the pressure bandage Drake had ready. In the collapse the reinforcement steel shifted and sliced James. "We got to get out him out now, Michael." Small applied the bandage, but it was doing little good.**

"**_Small? Drake? Do you hear us?"_ Drake's headset finally crackled to life.**

"**We need out now. Patient going down," Drake replied. "How much longer?"**

"_**Bang on something. We need to relocate you," **_**the command post requested. Drake fumbled around and found a short steel rod. He hit the rod against the metal box covering them. The sound reverberated up to the top of the pile.****_ "Okay, we have a starting point, Michael. Just hang on."_**

"**We're protected by a large metal box," Drake inspected the fallen wall locker covering them. **

"_**I'll tell them, Mike. Good luck,"**_** the command post waited quietly for any news that would need to be relayed. **

"**This thing probably saved us, Doc," Drake looked around hoping to see a way out, but they were buried. "How's he doing?"**

"**Not good. He's almost cut into," Small sounded doubtful. "What do we have left?" He asked about the medical supplies. **

**Drake searched through the medic bag. "Not much. Do you want to try sewing him up?" Drake held a wound kit that included sutures and liquid stitches.**

**Dr. Small sighed and held out his hand. He closed the gaping chest wound hoping increase the chances of James' survival. Now all they could do is wait and pray. **

**-l-l-l-**

**The removal of the debris was painstakingly slow. Lewis paced outside the command post listening to the crew's conversations, which did not sound encouraging. Laura tried to get him to sit down, even the dog tried to stop Lewis' pacing. **

**They finally gave up and sat on the ground together. The dog laid her head on Laura's lap. She absentmindedly played with the dog's soft ears and talked aimlessly to the dog who listened sympathetically. **

**The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon and Lewis continued to paced. A path formed below his feet. He refused to stop, just kept walking and watching the rescue crew continuously remove steel and tin. **

**Lewis wondered "How much metal can one building have?"**

"**They stored scrap metal in the old hut for years, Sir," PC Bell handed Lewis a cup of hot coffee. "Apparently they piled everything to one end next to an inner wall."**

**Lewis sipped the bitter liquid and continued to pace. He stopped suddenly when someone started shouting. He let the cup fall from his hand and ran toward the fallen building.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Dr. Small continued to check James' vital. He shook his head, "I hope they hurry." **

"**There can't be much left to remove. It wasn't a damn skyscraper," Drake mumbled.**

**They could hear scratching on the box above their heads, but no one shouted their names. Drake slept while Small kept a vigil eye on his patient. At least he tried to stay awake.**

**Dr. Small and Micheal Drake were jolted awake when they heard a loud banging on the metal box above them and someone shouting. "Small? Drake? You down there?" **

**Drake grabbed the small metal bar and replied. "What took you so long?" He yelled. They could hear more shouting and cheering.**

"**He's still alive. I don't know how," Small checked James.**

**-l-l-l-**

**They waited as the crew finally removed the large metal locker that had been protecting them. The bright morning sun blinded Small and Drake as the crew pulled them out. Two team members jumped into the hole with a spineboard to remove James.**

**Small watched as they gently rolled his patient on his side and lay the injured man onto the yellow board. They secured James to the sturdy board and hoisted him up to safety.**

**Lewis held his breath as he watch his partner being carried down from the rubble. He almost cried out loud when he saw the blood. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. **

"**Dr. Small said James is holding his own," Laura calmed Lewis. "James' strong he'll be all right in a few days." **

"**They're flying him to Radcliffe," Randell informed. "I need to stay here to help clean up."**

"**You're not going with us?" Laura grown fond of the older Bell brother. **

"**I need to help them," Randell pointed toward the crew packing the team's gear. He then saw Rowan approaching. "I'll see you later li'l brother. Gotta work." He smacked his younger brother hard on the backside. Rowan tried to dodge but he felt the stinging pain from his brother's large hand.**

"**Robbie, I'll meet you at the Radcliffe," Innocent wiped the joyful tears from her eyes as they walked to their cars. "I need to stop at the station first." She drove away in her loaner car. **

**MacGim, Lewis and Hobson looked around for another vehicle they could drive. Innocent arrived in a borrowed High Wycombe police car which PC Russell picked up during the night. **

"**Hey, we can use my brother's car," PC Bell suggested. They all followed him to a small subcompact hatchback. **

"**Ladies first," MacGim held the front seat forward for Laura to crawl into the back seat. "Robbie." Lewis squeezed in next to her. MacGim took the driver's seat. "Where's the keys, Lad?"**

"**Here," Bell handed him a straight screwdriver. "Just shove it into the ignition, we never had keys to this car." He smiled at the large Scottman.**

"**Haven't done this since I was in middle school," MacGim joked as he started the small car.  
**

"**Wait!" Laura shouted. "Where's the dog?" They all briefly looked around but no one could see the dog that led them to James. **

**-l-l-l-**

**Four members of the local volunteer fire brigade carried the unconscious Sargent to the waiting helicopter. Dr. Small ran ahead of them to board, to his surprise waiting in the medevac was the dog that saved his patient's life. **

"**I tried Doc, but she won't budge," the pilot replied to the look on the doctor's face.**

"**Don't worry, she's the one that found him," Small explained.**

**The firefighters hesitated at the door looking at the scruffy dog. "Just get him in," Dr. Small ordered them to load James. "She's one of us. Just out of uniform." He joked.**

**Two of the men climbed in concentrating on locking the spineboard in place for the flight. The waiting dog watched the men closely. When Small was sure James was secured he signaled the pilot. **

**The flight to the Radcliffe Hospital was short but still too long for Small's patient. James' condition deteriorated quickly.**

"**Keep up chest compressions," Small ordered. He elevated James' feet to keep the blood he had left up toward the chest and head. They worked hard but James had been buried too long and he lost too much blood. "How much longer?" He questioned the pilot.**

"**Ten minutes," replied the co-pilot. **

"**He doesn't have a minute," shouted Drake.**

**The scruffy dog started to howl and bark madly. Small, Drake and the pilots looked at the distressed dog. She leaped over Drake and landed next to James' head. She bark loud and started to lick his face pleading to him not to give up. **

**Small saw James' foot twitch, he was responding to the dogs pleas. His vitals started to climb. "Once again you save his life. Thank you, Girl," Small patted the dog and kissed her in between the ears.**

**-l-l-l-**

**The twenty mile drive to Radcliffe took less time than Lewis thought was possible. MacGim raced the tiny car zipping in and out of traffic. Passing cars on both sides of the road. Breaking every driving law ever written. **

**Laura kept her eyes closed tight. Lewis wasn't sure if she was praying to arrive safely or pray for James. He was praying for both. **

**The young Bell was smiling and laughing enjoying the fast scary ride. MacGim gripped the steering wheel with his right hand and kept the left on the gear shift. Lewis wondered if Randell would have a car by the time they arrived at the hospital. **

"**How much farther?" Laura leaned toward Lewis. She grabbed his knee tightly when she heard breaks squeal and someone yelling. **

"**We're pulling up right now," he cringed as they narrowly missed a parked car. **

**MacGim stomped on the brakes hard and parked the small car perfectly in an empty space. The engine sputtered and diesels to a stop. "Beat that Top Gear," MacGim cheered. "Don't worry Li'l Bell, I'll get my brother, Marcas. He'll have that car better than new before Big Bell notices it missing."**

"**There they are," someone shouted. **

**Lewis looked toward the entrance way. "Oh no! Not them again," he moaned.**

**A large group of reporters had been hovering near the emergency room entrance camping all night long. They waited for a story to arrive and it arrived in the shapes of Lewis, Hobson, MacGim and Bell. **

**Recognizing Inspector Lewis and Dr. Hobson, the reporters charged toward them blocking their way and shouting questions. MacGim bellow and pushed past the media pulling Laura behind him. Lewis and Bell followed closely. Finally the hospital guards came outside to escort the harassed Oxfordshire police and doctor inside.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Inside, the ER was not much quieter than the outside with the shouts from the media. Medical staff were busy with their daily duties and with the new arrival from the medevac. Lewis caught a glimpse of James being wheeled into a room. He tried to follow, but was stopped by a kind and sympathetic nurse. **

"**Mr. Lewis, you can wait in here comfortably," she directed them toward a private waiting room. "No one will bother you. I'll keep you up to date on James' conditions. There's some coffee and snacks. And here's some blankets and pillows. A nurse will be in to ask you a few questions."**

**Lewis reluctantly allowed himself to be led to the waiting room. He felt helpless and useless. He wanted to do something to help James.**

"**Mr. Lewis," the nurse continued. "I know waiting is hard, but the doctors are doing everything they can for James. We've been preparing for his arrival since last night. Several specialist arrived just to help. I'll be back as soon as I know anything."**

**She left the room and the only noise that could be heard was the panting of a dog. "Hey Girl," PC Bell knelt down to pet the dog. "How'd you get here?"**

"**She flew with us," ERT medic Drake answered for the dog. "She was waiting in the chopper when we put James in. We couldn't get her out so, Small said she could fly with us."**

"**Good thing too," Dr. Small entered the private waiting room. **

"**How's James?" Lewis anxiously asked.**

"**Stable. They're taking him up to surgery," Small dropped down onto the sofa. **

"**Kevin, can you expand on 'stable', please," Laura pleaded. She knew stable could be good or bad.**

**The exhausted doctor took a much needed sip of hot coffee, laid his head back and closed his tired soar eyes. He took a deep breath, "We almost lost him on the flight." The memory of the dog leaping to James' head replayed in his mind.**

"**I couldn't believe this, but that dog," Small pointed to the dog now sitting in Laura's lap. "She barked in James' ear and started to lick his ears and face. A miracle worker she is. James' vitals started to stabilize and stayed strong the rest of the flight." **

"**Why's he going to surgery," Lewis paced the room.**

"**To set his leg and put his chest back together," Small's hand traced a long line on his chest emphasizing the injury to James . "The reinforcement steel rod cracked his femur and...," exhausted from the rescue he fell asleep with his hand resting on his chest. **

"**What does he mean, 'Put his chest back together'?" Lewis looked to Drake for the answer, but he too was asleep. "I need fresh coffee," exasperated Lewis tossed the half full cup of coffee in the trash and left the room. **

**-l-l-l-**

**He really needed to search for a doctor or nurse that might know how Hathaway was doing. Lewis did not want to go too far from the waiting room so he paced the hallway waiting for someone with answers.**

**Laura needed to do something, to keep her self occupied she started a fresh pot of coffee. MacGim leaned on the door frame watching his friend pace. Bell sat in an oversize chair holding the dog, he too watched Lewis pace. **

"**How many pairs of shoes does he go though in a year?" he asked.**

"**At this rate he'll need a new pair before sunset," Laura guessed.**

"**Mr. Lewis?" an elderly nurse with a laptop stopped Lewis from pacing. "Come with me, I have a few questions to ask about Mr. Hathaway." **

"**Can you ask the questions in here?" Lewis offered the waiting room they were using.**

"**If you don't mind private questions being asked," the nurse walked into the waiting room. She looked around, "Are you all here for Mr. Hathaway?"**

"**Yes. How's he doing," fearing the worst he started to pace again.**

"**Please sit down, Mr. Lewis. This will be much easier if you're not pacing," **

**The stern nurse insisted.**

**Lewis' heart leaped to a stop he grabbed Laura's hand for support. He knew the news was bad. He sank into the chair slowly and took a deep breath to prepare him for the worst.**

"**I don't know how Mr. Hathaway is doing. I'm just the admittance nurse," she explained as she typed into the computer. "Now, I understand you and Mr. Hathaway are partners?"**

"**Yes," he confirmed.**

"**How long have you been together?" she continued to type.**

"**About five years," Lewis was puzzled.**

"**Have either of you had any other partners in the past five years," she looked over her narrow glasses at Lewis, waiting for an answer.**

"**No. Why?" confused Lewis started to pace. He notice MacGim and Laura starting to giggle. "Why?"**

"**Just routine questions, Mr. Lewis," she continued. "When was your last test?"**

**Lewis' mouth fell open, he was dumbfounded at the questions. "What test?" Laura and MacGim busted out laughing.**

"**Ma'am, Robert Lewis and James Hathaway work together, " Laura explained to the admittance nurse.**

"**James Hathaway? I'm here for Adam Hathaway, not James," She stated. "I was told Hathaway's partner was waiting in here." She explained, "I must have the wrong Hathaway. Please forgive me. Sorry for any trouble. I hope your Hathaway will be all right.". She quickly gathered the laptop and left the room, her face was red with embarrassment. "So sorry."**

**Lewis shook his head and laughed, "I hope this hospital doesn't mix up the two Hathaways again." He resumed his pacing in the hall. MacGim continued to watch and Bell continued to pet the dog.**

**A young nurse glanced into the private waiting room as she past the open door. "I know you," she stopped and entered the room. She approached Bell and the dog. **

**Bell sat up straight blushing at the attention the beautiful nurse was paying to him. "Hello," he stuttered. **

"**Hi. I know her. Isn't this Corporal Christmas' dog, Mindy?" the nurse nuzzled and kissed the dog sitting next to Bell. "Hey girl where have you been?"**

"I really don't know," Bell stammered. "We, uh, that is she uh," he stumbled over his words.

"**Hey, she's the one that came in the medevac with Hathaway," the nurse stated. **

"**You know about James Hathaway, Nurse... Nurse...," Lewis searched for her name tag. **

"**Oh, I'm Yulissa Montgomery. I'm a student nurse," she introduced herself. "I heard the duty nurse talk about James. Do you want me to get her for you?"**

"**Yes! Please," Lewis stopped pacing and shakily poured a cup of fresh coffee.**

"**I'll be right back," Yulissa left the room and quickly returned with the surgical nurse. "This is Nurse Peters. Miss Peters, look who's here," she pointed to Mindy.**

"**Hey Mindy, we've been looking for you," she patted the dog. "Yulissa, take Mindy and clean her up."**

**Excited, Mindy the dog leaped off the chair and licked Yulissa's hand. "Can I help," finding his voice and the courage he offered the nurse his assistance.**

"**Uh. Yah, come on," Yulissa shyly smiled at the cute officer. They left the room with Mindy leading the way.**

"**We wondered where Mindy went to. Are you DI Lewis?" Nurse Faye Peters asked. Lewis nodded. "I've been looking for you, Sargent Hathaway is in recovery. His leg was set and the chest has been cleaned and repaired. All in all, Mr. Hathaway is a very lucky man he'll mend just fine."**

**Lewis felt the weight of the world lift from him, "When can I see him." **

"**Not for a couple of hours," she watched Dr. Small and Drake sleeping. "Sleeping will do you all some good. I'll have an orderly set up some beds for you."**

**Nurse Peters called for an orderly to makeup two rooms for them. "Someone will take you to rooms close to James. There you can clean up and get some rest."**

"**Nurse Peters," Laura stopped the nurse from leaving. "What happened to his chest?" Laura moved her hand up and down her chest.**

"**I'll let the doctors explain. They'll talk to you as soon as they can," Nurse Peters left the room leaving Lewis more frustrated than ever.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Lewis paced the new room, waiting for the doctor to arrive with news about James. MacGim stood in the doorway watching and also waiting. **

"**There you are," Chief Innocent arrived. "I've been searching all over the hospital for you. How's James?"**

"**We don't know," Lewis growled. "How long have we been waiting?"**

"**Forty-two minutes," MacGim kept track of the time. He was going to give the doctor twenty more minutes to arrive. "If they don't show up in twenty minutes I'll find them."**

"**Where's Dr. Hobson?" Innocent looked for the pathologist. **

"**Hello Jean. I had to get him another pair of shoes," Laura handed Lewis a bag of clothes and a pair of shoes. "He's worn this pair out pacing." She teased.**

"**I can't just sit here," Lewis defended. "What's taking them so long? Have they forgotten about us, about James?"**

**Nurse Montgomery and PC Bell entered the room. "All clean," Bell announced. Mindy looked like a new dog. **

"**She's beautiful," Innocent whispered. "Can she be in the hospital?"**

"**Yeah. I mean yes Ma'am," Bell corrected himself "Yulissa, Nurse Montgomery told me that Mindy …."  
****  
"Her name is Mindy. She belonged to Corporal Malcolm Christmas," Yulissa interrupted. "According to the story, Corporal Christmas was injured during an attack while deployed to Afghanistan. Mindy bark and led the medics to him," Nurse Montgomery told what she heard about the dog. "She stayed at his side until he was transferred back to England. Some other soldiers adopted her, she continued to alert our soldiers of danger. Finally, with the help of some charities Corporal Christmas was able to bring Mindy here to Oxford."**

**They looked at the amazing dog. "Corporal Christmas had Mindy certified as a therapy dog," she continued. "They would visit wounded vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan."**

"**What happened to Corporal Christmas?" curious Innocent asked.**

"**He died last week in a car accident," Yulissa's eyes teared up. "We all thought Mindy was lost."**

"**What will happen to her now?" Bell was concerned about the dog. "I would take her but I still live at home and we all ready have four dogs."**

"**I don't know. Maybe Mr. Hathaway will keep her," Yulissa suggested. "She likes to stay with someone she helped."**

**Chief Innocent knelt down to pet Mindy. She was grateful for what the dog done for her friend. "You won't be alone," Innocent mumbled.**

**They all sat and waited for news about James. The clock in the room ticked loudly as each long minute passed. Lewis checked his watch, but the time on the wall clock was correct. He continued to pace. He continued to worry.**

**They all leaped to their feet when Nurse Peters entered the room. ****"We finally have some news," Nurse Peters said. **

**Lewis stopped pacing. He could not tell if the news was good or bad from her expressionless face. He held his breath waiting.**

**-l-l-l-**


	24. Chapter 24

**-l-l-l-**

**Chapter 24**

**-l-l-l-**

**Two doctors entered the room with Nurse Peters. They were wearing expensive business suits, neither wore hospital coats. Just by looking at them Lewis would have never guessed they were doctors.**

"**I'm Dr. Cavendish chief surgeon of Radcliffe," the tall dark skinned man introduced himself. "And this is our orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Wilkes." He turned to the dog and gave her a huge smile, "Hello Mindy. I heard you helped James. Good girl." He praised the dog and gave her a crunchy biscuit treat. **

**Mindy wagged her tail vigorously and held the treat in her mouth. "Go ahead, Mindy eat your biscuit," the doctor gave the well trained dog permission to eat. Mindy sat in a corner of the room crunching on her dog biscuit.**

**Everyone introduced themselves and Dr. Cavendish gestured for them to have a seat. "How's James doing," eagerly Lewis questioned the doctors.**

"**He's stable," Cavendish gave the standard response. Lewis was about to protest the lack of information when the doctor explained more. "James had a rough time during surgery. His cracked femur was the easy part." **

**The doctor opened a laptop and started a power point program of the surgery. The point point showed pictures of sketches and drawings of the human skeleton with the injuries James has. The visual slide show helped to explain what happened during surgery and why James had to have so much repaired. **

"**Apparently when the pile of metal collapsed on James, some of the rebar shifted his sternum up, causing more damage. Fracturing the sternum, several ribs were broken or fractured, left clavicle broken, scapula cracked and manubrium also cracked." Dr. Cavendish paused. He could see the growing alarm in their faces. He knew James' friends would be shocked by the large list of broken and cracked bones.**

"**All the broken bones have been repaired," Dr. Wilkes encouraged. "The damaged done to his sternum is no worse than what a surgeon has to do to a patient during open heart surgery." He hoped the comparison eased their minds. **

"**Dr. Wilkes is the best orthopedic surgeon in Europe," Cavendish boasted about his colleague's talents. **

"**Any other damage, Dr. Cavendish," Laura knew there was more. **

"**Yes, there was, Dr. Hobson," Cavendish worked on the computer and started another power point. "Mild traumatic brain injury, I know this sounds bad but he is stable. CT showed no bleeding in the brain. We are keeping a close eye on James. Dr. Anderson is right here in our hospital, he's the best neurosurgeon, just in case."**

**Lewis started to pace. He knew what a brain injury could do to James' career. He knew what that would do to James. "When will you kn...," he choked back tears. He could not finish the question. **

"**When James wakes up, which can be any minute to days," Cavendish could only give them a vague answer. "I'm sorry, but with head injuries only time will give us the answers."**

"**Anything else?" Lewis was loosing temper. He was mad at himself and at the doctors for not knowing more.**

"**No, that is about all. Nurse Peters will take you in one at a time," Dr. Cavendish and Dr. Wilkes stood to leave. "Mr. Lewis, I wish I could give you more encouraging news. James could have been much worse. He was and still is a very lucky man. If you have any questions Nurse Peters will be at your side." **

"**When will he be released from the hospital," Innocent was already planning a replacement Sargent to work with Lewis. **

**Dr. Cavendish turned in the doorway, "Again, time will give us a more accurate answer, however James will be in the Critical Care Unit for at least three days. Then a week in the hospital and another six weeks of rehab," the doctor counted on his fingers. "So, a good guess would be, two months at the earliest before he can return to full duties. He might be able to do light duties before, but only time can tell. Take care of that dog, Mindy is an angel. You can take her in to see James when he's in his own room." **

"**I'll be right back to take you to see James, Mr. Lewis," Nurse Peters stepped out of the room. She quickly grabbed James' personal belongings bag. "Sorry, I wanted to give you this before it was misplaced." She handed the bag to Lewis. **

**He sat the bag on the floor and started toward the door. "Can I see James?" he was not about to take no for an answer.**

"**Right this way," Nurse Peters led him up the hall and through a set of security doors into the Critical Care Unit. The place was eerily quiet. Lewis could hear someone crying as he passed a room. He could see a man praying and holding a cross as they passed another room. **

**Finally the nurse stopped at the door of the third room. She put her hand on the door handle and paused, "Prepare yourself Mr. Lewis. James has a lot of bruising, swelling and cuts to his whole body. There are several machines monitoring his vitals." She looked into his eyes seeing if he was prepared to see his friend. "Ready?"**

**Lewis nodded his head and slowly stepped into James' room. He gasped, nothing could prepare him for the of his injured friend laying on the bed unconscious with a several of machines wired to him. **

**Nurse Peters gently encouraged Lewis to sit in the chair next to James. "We have James on a ventilator support machine to give his bruised lungs time to heal," she pointed to the ventilation machine. "This screen is monitoring his heart rate. His heart is steady and strong. The way we like it. We have him on IV drips to ease his pain and fight infections. And we also are keeping him hydrated with is bag." **

**Lewis watched the nurse point and explain the functions of the different machines and IV bags. He was bewildered by all the tubes going in and out of James. **

"**Nurse," Lewis he softly spoke for fear of disturbing James. **

"**Peters, call me Faye, Mr. Lewis," she smiled.**

"**Robbie, please. What are the doctors not tell us, Faye?" he watched James' chest move as the ventilator gently pushed air into his lungs.**

**Faye hesitated, "With any type of surgery there is always chances of infection, blood clots, any number of things." Lewis looked at her alarmed. "James was trapped in a dirty rusty building for several hours. He had an open chest wound that could become infected in the next few hours. We can only hope and pray." She put her hand on Lewis' shoulder. "The best medicine for James are his friends**

"**Talk to him, Robbie," Faye nudge him to talk. "I'm sure he can hear you. I'll leave you two alone." She left the room and quietly pulled the door closed behind her leaving Lewis alone sitting quietly watching the machines. **

**-l-l-l-**

**Nurse Peters returned to the CCU Family Suite filled with James' friends. She always wondered why beds were put into the rooms, no one ever slept in them. Families of patients always paced the floors and sat on the chairs. They never went near the beds.**

**Laura greeted the nurse, "Any changes?"**

"**No, I'll let Mr. Lewis have some time with James then someone else can go in to see him," Faye sat in a chair near the door. She watched James' friends deal with their worries in different ways. One absentmindedly toyed with Mindy's ears, one leaned against the wall with his arms folded across his broad chest, another one talked quietly on the mobile and Dr. Hobson quickly flipped through the pages of an old magazine.**

"**Laura, have you eaten?" she noticed how thin the pathologist looked. Laura answered with a shake of her head. "Then let me order everyone something from the canteen." Faye stepped out of the room letting the door close behind her. **

**She quickly returned with an assortment of sandwiches, crisps, biscuits, chocolates and a bowl of cooked minced beef. "This is for Mindy," Faye place the bowl of beef on the floor. "Eat, I can not let you see James with your belly's grumbling." They all reluctantly chose a bag of crisps and a sandwich. **

**Someone softly tapped on the door and push it opened a bit, when Dr. Small noticed everyone eating he pushed the door open wider and entered with Drake and Randell Bell. They had taken the time to shower and change clothes.**

"**Good to see everyone eat," Small cheerfully chatted. "We'll pop back in later to check in on James. Right now we have to go and debrief. The usual boring stuff."**

**Laura stood up and gave each of the ERT members a tight tearful hug. "I don't know how we can ever thank you," Laura tried to talk but the tears got in her way.**

"**I'm glad we were training in Faringdon or we might not have been called out," Drake stated. **

"**Hey little brother, where's my car," Randell cornered his little brother.**

**Rowan could only swallow hard. He did not know what to say to him.**

**MacGim gladly explained, "Well, Big Bell, it's like this. Your car will be back on all four tires in no time. I'm having my brother, Marcus and his friends do some minor repairs."**

"**Repairs?" Randell snapped. "What repairs? The car was perfectly fine when you stole it, Brother!" He glared at Rowan.**

"**My brother is a professional mechanic. He works for a Formula One team," MacGim bragged about his brother. "They all ready picked up your car and it should be back in a day or two. Don't worry Big Bell."**

**Randell thought for a minute, "A winning F1 team?" **

**MacGim tugged at his chin and thought hard, "You know, I really don't know." He smiled big and clapped Randell hard on his back as they shook hands. "Oh, here's your ignition key, Marcus had his own," MacGim handed Randell the straight screwdriver he used to start the small subcompact car.**

"**Dr. Small," Laura stopped the doctor before he left. "What about Crush Syndrome?"**

"**James didn't have any weight directly on him," Small explained. "We were covered by a heavy metal box. The box must have fell over James when the building first collapsed, saving his life."**

"**What's Crush Syndrome?" MacGim wanted to know.**

"**Technically it's major shock and renal failure that occurs after someone has been buried alive under heavy weight," Small clarified. "We see this after earthquakes or bombings."**

"**James doesn't have this crush thing, does he?" MacGim wanted to make sure.**

"**Thankfully no," he replied. "We'll stop by later. Until then, bye." Small, Drake and Randell left. Laura hugged them again and kissed each one goodbye. **

**Mindy darted out the door as it closed. Rowan started to chase after her but Nurse Peters was already out the door and up the hall in pursuit of the runaway.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Lewis sat in the chair next to James holding his hand. Thinking, he laid his forehead on their hands, "I'm sorry James," he whispered. "I should have been there for you."**

**He did not know how long he had his head down he just listened to the machines. Lewis was jolted from his meditation by a sudden movement. James was gasping for air and he was starting to struggle. The machines beeped and alarms sounded. The more noise the machines made the more James fought and struggled against the life saving machines. Two nurses entered the room, one adjusted the ventilation machine while the other tried to calm James.**

"**Mr. Hathaway, try to relax," the nurse hoped he would listen. "James you have a tube down your throat to help you breath. You need to relax and let the machine do the work." She rubbed his forehead trying to calm him, but James continued to struggle with the machine.**

**The nurse signaled the other nurse and she moved toward the door. Suddenly the door pushed open and Mindy bolted into the room. She leaped onto Lewis' lap startling him.**

"What the..." Lewis grunted as the lab sheppard mix dog jumped on him. She started to lick James' hands. 

**The nurse approached the dog intending to remove the hairy animal from the room, right at that time Nurse Peters entered the quiet room. The machines' alarms were no longer sounding.**

**Without a word the nurses and Lewis looked at James, he was calm and alert. His eyes were wide opened and Lewis could see tears streaming down James' face.**

"**Hey," Lewis pushed Mindy off his lap onto the chair and stood so James could see him. "Glad to you're back with the living."**

**Nurse Peters leaned over looking at James' eyes. Both pupils were equal and reacted to the light she shown into his eyes. "Hello there," she cooed to her patient. "You have beautiful eyes, nice to see them open." **

**She turned to one of the nurses. "Tell Dr. Cavendish," was all she needed to say, the nurse left the room but paused to look at the dog. "Don't worry about Mindy." The nurse left.**

"**What happened?" Lewis worried. "Is he going to be all right?"**

**-l-l-l-**

**The pain was still there, he could feel his chest burn. He also could feel the soft comforting touch of something on his hand. James ceased his struggling and concentrated on relaxing and concentrated on the softness touching his hand. He tried to move his head to see what was there, but pain shot through his body. Tears welled up in his eyes and flowed freely down his face.**

**He blinked several times, but his eyes would not completely focus. A bright light flashed before his eyes then it was gone. James tried to focus again this time on the face before him. He saw what he thought was the familiar face of his friend. **

**When he tried to speak to Lewis his chest burned and again he could not breath. James then felt a cold wetness touch his hand again calming him so the machine could breath for him. He closed his eyes and forced himself to relax.**

**James heard Lewis talk, his words were muffled or Lewis was mumbling. Again he blinked several times but his world stayed blurry. He had so much to tell Lewis. But he was unable to talk and unable to move, the pain was too powerful and too strong for him to ignored. All he can do is squeeze his eyes closed, scream in his mind and let the tears run wild.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Dr. Cavendish entered James' room, he was a little surprised to see Mindy in CCU, but he did not mind if she helped his patient. He read the chart Nurse Peters handed him. "Excellent," the doctor smiled. "Excellent," he repeated. "Fighting with the ventilation machine can be a good sign," the doctor hoped James' lungs were stronger than he thought.**

"**James, open your eyes," the doctor pinched James' arm hard. No response, the doctor pinched harder and finally James moved, but he did not open his eyes.**

**James felt pain in his arm he cringed trying to ignored the new pain. Again, he felt the pain and he could hear someone mumbling. Ignoring the pain was not working, he could feel the pain worsening each time. The pain finally stopped, but move. He felt like something bite him hard on the neck. James forced his eyes open, fighting hard not to panic. **

**Not receiving the response he wanted from James, Dr. Cavendish pinched his patient hard on the neck. "Ah, I thought that might get your attention," the doctor smiled. **

**He steady James' face gently and looked into his eyes with an ophthalmoscope. Through the scope he could see James was having visual trouble. "Faye, get an eye wash kit," he requested. "Let's see if we can get more of that grit out of your eyes, Mr. Hathaway."**

**A bright light blinded him and then moved away. Once again James tried to block out the blurry world by closing his soar eyes, but he could not. Someone pried open his right eye and poured water over the eye. They held the eyelid open and continued to pour water. James felt like he was drowning. He tried to move his head but someone held his face. He was beginning to panic, but then he felt a gentle touch on his hand again. **

"**After you wash both eyes, Faye, put in some ointment and tape the lids closed for about ten minutes," the doctor scribbled notes into James' medical chart. "I'll be right back."**

**Lewis continued to talk to James. He could not tell if his friend was listening, but talking made him feel better. "James, I'm not going anywhere. You're safe," Lewis talked aimlessly. "Remember you still owe me a pint."**

**The doctor returned. "Excuse me, Mr. Lewis," the doctor needed to stand where Lewis had been. "I wanted to check James' ears. I wonder if he's having trouble hearing or is he just ignoring me like my kids do." The doctor bent over with an otoscope searching James' ear. **

"**At least the light doesn't go through to the other side," Dr. Cavendish joked. "Wash the ears out, Faye, when you're done with his eyes."**

"**Mr. Lewis, why don't we return to family waiting room and we can talk there," the doctor directed him toward the door. "Keep an eye on him, Mindy. You know what to do if James causes any more trouble." The dog thumped her tail and licked James' hand.**

**-l-l-l-**

**MacGim took over pacing while Lewis was gone. Laura was about to tie him down, with each step he took MacGim's shoes squeaked. The noise was grating on her nerves. **

**Laura was also annoyed at the constant low chattering Chief Innocent was doing. Since she arrived all Innocent had done was talk on her mobile, type on her laptop or groaned in annoyance.**

**At her wits ends Laura wrenched opened the door to leave, but was startled when she bumped into Dr. Cavendish who was bringing Lewis back to the room. Fearing bad news she could only look at the doctor with questioning eyes. **

"**He's all right, Dr. Hobson," Dr. Cavendish answered her unasked question. "Sit. Sit everyone, relax I'm not the bearer of bad news." **

**Everyone relaxed after hearing the doctor joke. Innocent closed her mobile and laptop, she sat back relieved. MacGim sat on the arm of the chair Laura was sitting in. Bell sat feeling out of place not really knowing James and only being on the job for a few months. **

"**We will be taking Mr. Hathaway off the ventilator as soon as Nurse Peters is finished flushing his eyes and ears," the doctor sat on the untouched bed. "If James is breathing comfortably on his own we will move him to a private room."**

**He watched their faces light up with the encouraging news. "I'll have someone fix a bed for Mindy. I don't think we can keep her away from him," the doctor smiled. "If James does not develop any infections, he should be out of here and in rehab in a week to ten days. Keep your fingers crossed."**

**The good news took a few minutes to sink in. They all were too stunned to talk even to say thank you to the doctor. **

"**I'll let you know when we move James. In the mean time eat," he took a bite off a sandwich. "You won't do James any good if you're sick from lack of nourishment. Later Laura," the doctor gave her a quick good bye peck on her cheek. "Eat you're too thin, my mamma likes her daughter's plump and healthy," he teased. **

**She swatted at him as he left, "Flirt."**

**-l-l-l-**

**James could feel someone taping his eyes close. Something he was beginning to hate. He was trying hard to concentrate on relaxing, but he was loosing the battle. **

**The battled was lost when he felt warm water being squirted into his ear. He struggled with the growing panic boiling up inside him. He wanted to scream for help. He wanted to push away from whomever was trying to drown him. **

"**_Oh stop PLEASE STOP!" _James pleaded in his mind. _"I hate water in my ears. Don't touch my ears, my eyes. Just don't touch me. STTOOOPPPP!_" **

**Then he felt something lick his hand, a familiar feeling he had before. He reached up with his hand and started to pet the face of a dog he wanted to see. A dog that was always there when he needed help.**

"**_Where am I? Who's doing this to me and why?" _James' mind shouted, but nobody heard his pleas, except for the dog she understood what he was feeling. **

"**_Don't leave me, puppy. I need you,"_ he scratched at the dog's ears. _"Please make them stop." _**

**Mindy barked softly. "I'm almost done, Mindy," Nurse Peters worked on James as quickly as she could, trying not to make a mess. "Now, how's that Mr. Hathaway?"**

"**_I can hear!"_ He wanted to open his eyes to see who was talking. James tried to move his head but something was wrapped around his neck. He wanted to tell her he heard.**

"**Done Nurse Peters?" Dr. Cavendish returned. **

"**_I heard you. Let me talk,"_ James waved his hand. **

"**Good. Now Mr. Hathaway," the doctor slowly explained. "I'm going to take you off the ventilator. If you're doing good then we'll remove the ****endotracheal tube from your throat. Do you understand?"**

**Understanding James waved his hand. _"No, but I'll agree to understand anything if you remove this damn tube,"_ he wished he could say.**

**The ventilation machine was removed and for the first time today he could breathe when he wanted to. The air caused his lungs to burn and ache but felt good at the same time. Excited, he breathed harder and more rapidly.**

"**O2 stats holding," the nurse reported. Dr. Cavendish nodded to his nurse to precede.**

"**Now, James, the doctors on TV always tell their patient's to blow out when the tube is being removed, but we're not on TV," the nurse teased as she removed the tape holding the endotracheal tube in place.**

**James could feel the tape being peeled off his face. _"I won't need to shave after she pulls the hairs out," _he sarcastically told himself.**

"**What they don't tell you when the tube is being removed it's going to feel like I'm ripping broken glass out of your throat," Cavendish warned. "Just take a deep breathe in and breath out quickly."**

**Nurse Peters gently pulled on the endotracheal tube causing James to cough and gag. He rolled his head back and took in a deep breath of air on his own and free of obstructions. **

"**Thank you," he croaked. His throat dry and soar from the tube. James was grateful when Nurse Peters placed a piece of ice to his lips. Clearing his throat he tried talking again. "Where.." was all he was able to speak before his voice cracked.**

"**I'm Dr. Reginald Cavendish. You're at John Radcliffe Hospital," the doctor checked James' ears and throat. "Can you tell me your name?"**

"**James Hathaway. Where's Lewis," he whispered and started to cough causing pain to shoot through his body. "My chest," he hissed through the pain.**

"**You've had a rough couple of days, Mr. Hathaway," satisfied with his patient's ears and throat the doctor wanted to check the eyes. "I'm going to remove the bandages from your eyes. I want you to keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them. Do you understand?"**

James responded and the doctor started to remove the bandages covering his eyes. "Nurse Peters, the lights please," the doctor wanted the room dark giving the eyes time to adjust. 

"**Now open your eyes a small amount, James," he ordered. James opened his eyes a little. All he could see was fuzzy dark.**

"**Nothing but fuzziness, Doctor," he whispered. **

**Cavendish flashed a color light before James' eyes. "Now?" The doctor hoped.**

"**A fuzzy red light," James started to worry. "Why can't I?"**

**Dr. Cavendish had the nurse turn on the side light to illuminate the room with soft light. "Tell me what you see," the doctor waved his pen before James' damaged eyes.**

"**Shadows. A dark fuzzy shadow moving left to right," his voice broke with fear. "Why?"**

**Disappointed, the doctor dropped his head to his chest. "You had a lot of foreign matter in your eyes when you arrived, Mr. Hathaway," Cavendish tried to explain. "I'll have Dr. Moore, our resident ophthalmologist, visit you later on today. Nurse Peters' going to bandage your eyes again. This will give them time to rest."**

**Faye cleaned around James' eyes and re-bandaged them. "I hate this," James grumbled. He was trying hard not to get too upset, but his mind raced with all the "What if" questions.**

"**We'll get you settled in your new room, James," Faye cheerfully tried to soothe him. "Then your friends can visit."**

**Mindy nudge James' hand causing him to flinch. "That's Mindy, she led Mr. Lewis to you," she introduced the dog to James.**

"**Why?" he was tired and in pain. "It hurts."**

"**Here's something to help ease the pain," she upped the pain meditation on the intravenous pump. Two orderlies came into the room, "James, we're going to move you to a private room. Mindy will be with you the whole time." She ruffled the dogs ears.**

"**Why?" James repeated.**

"**Why Mindy?" She asked, James tried to nod his head and whispered yes. "She saved your life. She won't leave until she' ready. Besides, Mindy's good for you."**

"**Why?" repeating the question.**

"**You're starting to sound like my grand-baby. Why why why. Why what?" she adjusted the bedding around James. "Why we let Mindy stay or why Mindy saved you?"**

"**Both," he replied.**

"**Because Mindy knows you need her," Faye explained. "And she needs you."**

**The orderlies unlocked the wheels of James' bed. The sound startled him. "Just unlocking the bed so we can move you to another room, Mr. Hathaway," one of the orderlies explained.**

**-l-l-l-**

**James** **stroked Mindy's ears in their new room. He felt alone and was beginning be get scared of the dark. Mindy gently crawled next to him and licked his ears. **

**James could not see her but he felt safe when she was around. "Thank you, Mindy," he whispered. She licked his earlobe to tell him she heard and understood.**

"**Excuse me, James Hathaway, I'm Dr. Moore," the eye specialist approached the bed. "This must be Mindy. Everyone in the hospital is talking about her. She's a very special dog." He tousled her ears.**

"**When will I be able to see again, Dr. Moore," James was almost afraid to hear the answer.**

"**I need to take a good look at your eyes and do some test," the doctor placed some equipment on the table in front of James. "I'm going to remove the bandages. Keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them." **

"**I'm beginning to know this routine," James fussed. The doctor started removing the bandages, cleaned and flushed the eyes.**

"**That's what most of my patients say," the doctor joked. Nurse Peters quietly entered not wanting to interrupted them. "Hello, Faye, come to give me a hand?"**

"**Of course," she teased. "That's what they pay me to do."**

"**I understand you can't sit up," Moore held the optic diagnostic scope in his hands. "So, I hope you don't mind if I lean over you to take a good look."**

"**Why can't I sit up?" No one ever told him the extent of his injuries. He was curious why he could not turn his head nor move his arms or left leg. **

"**I'll tell you when Dr. Moore is done," she squeezed his hand. "Mindy and I will be right here to help if you need us, James." James smiled, feeling a little better, but not much. More questions crept into his foggy mind.**

**The doctor looked into each of James' eyes. He added some drops and looked again. He then dilated the eyes and looked again. Never saying a word, just mumbling. **

**The doctor's movement shifted and wiggled the bed making James feel uncomfortable. He squeezed the nurse's hand each time the movement caused discomfort. She reassuringly squeezed his hand back gently.**

**Finally to his relief the doctor climbed off the edge of the bed. James could not hear what the doctor mumbled, but he heard someone writing and writing a lot.**

"**Well?" He could not wait for the doctor. "Will I be able to see again?"**

"**I'm going to put some antibiotics in your eyes and re-bandaged them," the doctor placed the ointment in James' eyes. The medication burned causing his eyes to tear he inhaled sharply as the burning continued. "Give your eyes time heal. Say, for about three to five days. Then I will check them again. I didn't see anything serious. Keep your chin up, Mr. Hathaway, before you know you will be looking at Nurse Peters beautiful eyes." He smiled at the nurse.**

**James felt like crying he wanted to see, not to be trapped in the dark. He wanted to see the dog that gave him so much comfort. He wanted to see the face of the nurse with the kind soothing voice. He wanted to see his friends.**

"**I'll return in a few days. In the mean time I'm prescribing an anti inflammatory to help reduce the swelling around the optic nerves," Dr. Moore packed his optic scope, James could hear the him leave. **

**Nurse Peters straighten the bedding around James, "Now, how does that feel?" **

**Annoyed James twisted his lips, "He's gone, tell me why I can sit up, move my arms, move my leg why does my chest hurt so much? Why?"**

**She moved the chair closer to the bed. "You arrived here with a lot of broken and cracked bones. Most of them in your chest. We have to keep you still giving the bones time to start to mind," she looked at her patient, studying his face. She could tell he wanted more details, more answers. **

"**I don't know what happened when you were trapped," she continued. "But, you arrived here with your chest cracked, ribs broken and cracked, leg fractured, broken shoulder and mild traumatic brain injury," she mentally listed the injuries. **

"**Is that all?" He tried to joke. **

"**The doctor will check your chest in a few days, maybe then you can sit up and start walking," she explained. "The first few steps will be the worst, but the faster you're back on your feet the quicker you'll heal." **

**She saw he was feeling down. "I'll bring in your friends," she started to leave. **

"**I don't want to see anyone," James pouted. **

"**No, your friends have been through a lot," she scolded. "They need to see you as much as you need to be with them." She chose her words carefully.**

**He sighed heavily and let his head relax back onto the pillow. "Whatever," he mumbled. **

**Nurse Peters left James and Mindy alone. She hoped his friends could lift his spirits. Depression could kill just as easily as an infection.**

**-l-l-l-**


	25. Chapter 25

**-l-l-l-**

**Chapter 25**

**-l-l-l-**

"**He's a bit moody right now, which is expected," Nurse Peters updated James' friends on his condition. **

"**Do you think his vision will return?" Lewis worried.**

"**Officially, he has a 50/50 chance. UN-officially, I know his beautiful eyes will see your faces in a few days," she smiled big. Faye seen patients with this injury before and they all left the hospital with normal vision. **

"**What about the rest of his injuries?" Innocent asking as James' Chief Superintendent. "When will he return to work? When can I question him?" She needed answers and she wanted to mentally prepare herself for the argument she would have with Lewis when she assigns him a new Sargent.**

**Lewis rolled his eyes and quietly groaned. "Give the man a chance to wake up before you interrogate him," he argued.**

"**I have a job to do, Lewis," Innocent snapped at him.**

"**We've moved him from CCU so Mindy could stay with him," ignoring Innocent's questions, Peters continued to brief them. "If he has no setbacks I should have him up and walking in five days. He'll be taped up like a mummy, but he shouldn't be in too much pain."**

"**His head trauma?" Innocent prodded. "Will he remember what happened and what he did?"**

"**No signs of permanent nor lasting damage," she was beginning to dislike this woman. "He might have headaches for a while. Time will only let us know what he remembers. Now, would you like to see him." She looked at everyone except for Innocent.**

**Lewis did not have to be asked twice, he was all ready in the hall waiting for Nurse Peters. She led them to his room, "I'll be in the room, keeping an eye on him. If he shows any signs of becoming agitated, then you will have to leave." She especially directed this toward Chief Innocent.**

**James could hear the door quietly open. He listened as several people shuffled into the room. He cleared his throat. "I'm awake," he whispered his throat was still soar from being intubated. **

"**About time," Dr. Hobson spoke cheerfully. "You look better than the last time we saw you." **

**He smiled, her voice could put a smile on a dead man. He was thankful for having his hearing back if for only to hear Dr. Hobson talk.**

"**Why James I do think you're blushing," she teased causing him to blush more.**

"**James, I need to ask you a few questions," Innocent interrupted their light flirtations. **

"**Let it rest, Ma'am," Lewis argued.**

"**No, I'll answer any questions," James knew Innocent was in the room, her lilac perfume always tickled his nose. **

"**What do you remember, James," her tone of voice softened.**

**James sighed, "Not much. I remember not being able to sleep. I think I was outside. Mrs. Percy's dog, O'Malley, was in my yard and he bit me." James could hear someone snickering, "What?"**

"**You mean Mrs. O'Malley's dog Percy," Lewis corrected.**

"**That's what I said," confused James was getting annoyed his mistake. "I must have blacked out. The only thing I remember after that was seeing …." he started to breathe heavy. He could see her dead body flash in his mind.**

"**Easy, James," Peters nodded to the others. "He needs his rest."**

"**NO," James yelled. "No, I'm all right."**

"**What did you see," Innocent insisted he continued. "Tell us what you saw, James."**

"**I saw someone laying on the floor covered in blood," he cried. He saw Cynthia, but he knew she could not have been there, she died years ago. **

"**Who did you see," she started to harass him.**

"**I... I don't know," he lied.**

"**Did you kill Dr. Erik Wills, James?" Everyone in the room protested loudly. Mindy snorted and huffed. "I have a job to do and the question had to be asked," she defended her actions.**

"**WHAT? I killed someone. Oh God NO," James lost all control. **

"**Leave NOW," Nurse Peters stepped in between Innocent and James. "Get out!" She ordered.**

**Before Innocent left she whispered to Lewis, "Talk to him, Robbie." Lewis looked at her with harsh eyes, he wondered why she was trying to blame James for the death of Dr. Wills.**

**Nurse Peters press the call button calling for assistance. "James, you need to calm down," she adjusted the oxygen mask. **

"**NO, Oh God no, I'm sorry," James continued to cry. "Cynthia I'm sorry."**

**An orderly pushed into the room. He saw Peters attempting to calm the patient and a room full of people. "OUT!" He bellowed and quickly the room emptied.**

"**Wait, what did he say," Lewis rushed to James' side. "Cynthia? James do you think you killed Cynthia?" His friend did not listen. He put James' hand to his face and repeated the question.**

**Not wanting to sedate her distraught patient, Nurse Peters placed some ice on James' forehead. She whispered into his ear, "Shhhh, hush James. Take a deep breath. Good, slowly now Shhhh." She calmed her patient as she rubbed the ice on his forehead, around his ear and lips. **

**Mindy helped the best way she could, she licked and nudge James' hand with her nose. She was letting him know she was still there for him.**

**Lewis looked at James, he was calm and his heart rate slowly returned to normal. "Is he asleep?" He asked the nurse.**

"**No," James moaned. "I'm sorry."**

"**James, you didn't kill Cynthia," Lewis talked to him as if he was a child. Trying to get James to understand. "Fitzroy killed her four years ago."**

"**No, I saw her," he was not convinced. "I saw her laying there. She begged me to help her." He continued to relive the horrifying moment in his mind.**

"**James, listen to me. Cynthia has been dead for four years," Lewis was in James' face, half expecting James to look at him. "We found you at the place she was killed. How did you get there? James, how did you get to Shellingford's abandoned airfield?"**

"**I don't know," he tried to turn away. "Leave me alone."**

"**No, I won't leave you alone. Not this time," Lewis reassured him. "I'm here for you James. I should have been there for you last week."**

"**I need something... My mouth," his mouth was too dry to talk.**

"**I can only give you ice chips, James," she placed a few in his mouth. "Here munch on these."**

**The ice soothed his dry soar throat. "I remember the dog, Percy biting me. I kicked him and then... nothing," James searched the dark corners of his mind for answers. "The next thing I remember is seeing Cynthia laying on the floor. I tried to get away but... but I hit something. Then I wake up here. Oh God, I wish I stayed asleep," He whimpered.**

"**Enough," Faye interrupted. "Get some rest, James."**

"**No, I don't.. don't go," he pleaded. "I want to remember. I want to …."**

**Too late, Faye had to give James a mild sedative to let him sleep, his vitals were dropping due to all the stress. "You can stay with him, Mr... uh, Robbie. He needs to rest and not to put too much strain on his lungs," she reminded Lewis of James delicate condition. "He'll wake in a couple hours. That chair unfolds into a very uncomfortable bed." She smiled and pointed to an oversize chair in one corner. Lewis took her advise and stretched out on the open chair.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Lewis did not know how long he slept. He woke when Dr. Hobson waved a cup of hot tea under his nose. "You look like hell," she criticized.**

"**I couldn't see you asleep, but I sure heard you," James joked. **

**Lewis bolted from the uncomfortable chair, he moaned as his body protested the sudden movement, "How long have you been awake?" **

"**Uh, I don't know. Can't see a clock," he tried to move away from Lewis' morning breath. **

"**What? What's wrong," Lewis was worried, James' lip was twisting as if he was in pain. "Are you in pain."**

"**Uh, uh, no. No pain, feeling really good. Real good," he smiled. "It's your uh.."**

"**It's your breath, Robbie," Laura said what James could not. "Take this bag and clean yourself up. You look like.."**

"**I know, I know what I look like," embarrassed he took the proffered overnight bag. He looked through the bag to see a razor, soap, toothbrush, paste and floss, deodorant and a fresh set of clothes. "You've been to my place," he asked Laura. **

"**No MacGim," she smiled. "He said your breath could melt glass. And he said.."**

"I don't want to hear what Wyndham MacGim has to say," Lewis snorted. "He's got a big mouth. I'll be right back." He looked at James before he left. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, much better," he smiled though inside he was crying in pain. Lewis felt uneasy leaving, but he really did need to freshen up.

**Laura waited for the door to close. "You're a lousy liar, James Hathaway," Laura scolded. He inhaled sharply as a pain shot through his side. "Do you need me to call a nurse?"**

"**No," he mumbled. "I'm fine."**

"Bull, you're not fine. You haven't been for a while," she argued. "You're in this hospital because your too manly to talk to someone. I saw you Monday night tossing and turning in your bed crying out in your sleep. I saw your house trashed, how much you drank and the pills you took." Her voice became louder as she continued to chastise him. "I've read your diaries and I've read the painful words you wrote, you did not kill Cynthia, James!"

"**You had no right to read my diaries," he yelled. The strain on his voice caused him to cough. He moaned as his chest tightened from coughing. James was having a hard time catching his breath, his face turned red from the pain. **

"**Put this mask back on your face," Laura tried to replaced the oxygen mask but was unable. "Try to relax. Here's some ice," she put ice to his lips, he took gratefully. Then she finally was able to put the oxygen mask back on his face.**

"**You had no right," he choked the words out muffled by the mask. "You had no right."**

"**You were missing," Lewis walked in on their fight. He motioned for Laura to leave.**

"**I'm taking Mindy for a walk," Laura put the leash on the dog. "We'll leave you two stubborn mules alone. Maybe the old jackass can talk some sense into the young ass." The door slowly closed behind Laura and Mindy.**

"**You sure do know how to piss her off," Lewis tried to lighten the mood. **

"**You had no right," James repeated.**

"**So you keep saying," Lewis sat on the edge of the bed. "You tell me, what you would have done if you were in my place?" James kept silent, he pressed his lips together.**

"**Well, what would you have done?" He asked the question again. Again no reply. "You would have done the same thing, only sooner." Lewis was now pacing the room. "I thought you did yourself in, James."**

"**I wouldn't," James whispered.**

"**We found broken scotch bottles and a razor in your bathtub," Lewis paced as he argued. "Empty packs of sleeping tablets. What was I suppose to think. You were missing. Your neighbor said you left at three in the morning half naked."**

**Silently James lay in his bed wishing to be left alone. "Go," he finally spoke. **

**Lewis barely heard, "No, I won't leave. You've been distant all month long. I'd hoped you would work this out by yourself. And look where that got you." He waved his hands towards James' damaged and bandaged body. "No sir, I'm not leaving." He sat firmly on the chair next to the bed. He reached up to hold James' hand, but James pulled away. Lewis pulled the retreating hand and held it firmly.**

"**I'm here for you, James," Lewis spoke softly. "I should have been here sooner. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He let a tear escape. **

**Mad at his emotions betraying him Lewis released James' hand and walked away from the bed. He was embarrassed, Lewis did not want James to see/hear him cry. He turned to face the wall. Lewis washed his hands across his face looking up toward the ceiling trying to push back the tears.**

**James felt alone when Lewis let go of his hand. He so much wanted to cover his face, but the bandages held his arms tight to his side. All James could do is was wave his hands in frustration. He took a deep shutting breath, trying to control his feelings. A whimper escaped his lips. "I'm sorry," he cried.**

**Lewis turned to the bed when he heard his friend. He gently sat on the edge of the bed and held James' hand. "I'm sorry too," Lewis brushed a lone tear off his face. "It's just I don't want to break in a new Sargent and Innocent is all ready planning to force one on me."**

**James smirked and gave a halfhearted smile, then the smile was gone. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily. **

"**You didn't kill Cynthia," Lewis approached the delicate subject again. "Innocent told me Jimmy Fitzroy killed her."**

**James winced at the memories, "If I was a better detective I would have found her before she died." **

"**You're a damn good detective. Don't sell yourself short," Lewis defended his Sargent. "Why, after four years did you, ...well," he couldn't find the right words.**

"**Fall apart?" James said what Lewis could not.**

"**Well, yeah," he started pacing around the bed. "What pushed you over the edge?"**

**Long silence then he spoke softly. "I received a note," James explained. "The note … The note said 'You killed me, James. Because of you I'm dead.' No signature."**

"**Where was the letter posted?" he inquired. **

"**No envelope. I found the note pushed through my letter box one morning," James was finding strength as he talked about what happened. "I trashed that note. The next morning there was another note."**

"What did this one say?" Lewis stopped pacing to look at the bed. James did not say anything. "James, what was on the second note?" He asked more firmly.

" **'I'm dead!' That's all," he fell silent again. "It was written in red paint, made to look like blood."**

"**Where's that note?" The detective side of him coming to life. "I hope you didn't do something stupid and toss the evidence."  
**

"**Yes," he whispered. James could hear Lewis rolling his eyes. "It was just someone playing a prank." **

"**Anymore notes?" Lewis paced the room thinking. "When did the first note arrived?"**

"**I don't remember. The last note was Sunday, I think," he was starting to get confused. "I don't know what today is." James head was starting to throb. **

"**It's Saturday 27 March. You went missing sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning," Lewis gave James a verbal calendar of events. "We finally found you on Wednesday around noon. You were brought to the hospital on Thursday, now you're here." He gave a quick synopsis of the week, leaving out a lot of details.**

**Laura and Mindy returned from their walk, Lewis glanced at her wishing she had not returned so quickly. "Did I interrupt something?" Laura asked as she took the leash off Mindy. The dog scrambled next to James and licked his hand.**

"**No," Lewis balked.**

"**Okay," she looked at both men wondering what did she interrupt. She sat in the chair next to James and patted his arm lightly. "Look, James, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have jumped down your throat when you're in the condition you are in. I'm sorry."**

"**What, you'll just wait until I'm out of here then kick my arse?" James teased. **

"**Something like that," she happily replied. She looked at him laying helplessly on the hospital bed wishing there was more she could do. **

**James was quiet, his breathing shallow and steady, "James?" Laura leaned toward him. "Ssshhhh, he's asleep," she whispered to Lewis.**

"**What happened while I was gone?" she questioned Lewis.**

"**We talked a little but not much," he was giving a vague description of events. "Someone was sending him notes saying 'You killed me'. He gotten at least three, the last one was Sunday."**

"**SOCO didn't find any notes," she reminded Lewis.**

"**He trashed them thinking the notes were a prank," he started pacing again.**

"**Come, let's go for a walk," they left Mindy to keep an eye on James.**

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	26. Chapter 26

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**Chapter 26**

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**James slept through the night and most of day Sunday. Laura finally convinced Lewis to go home to get some much needed sleep. She and Mindy stayed watching James and visiting with people who stopped in.**

**MacGim and Bell looked in on James and to update Laura on the Wycombe Hills murder investigation. "Chief Innocent is not convinced of James' innocents," Laura chatted with them.**

"**I think Mindy needs a walk," MacGim suggested to Laura. She knew he had something else on his mind. So, they took the dog to a park nearby. **

"**Call me if he wakes," Laura ordered the young Bell.**

**They were walking aimlessly around the park. Mindy would pause to sniff everything. She even stopped to have a staring contest with a park squirrel. **

**Stalling, MacGim decided they needed ice cream, he bought two Flake 99 and a small dish of ice cream for Mindy. Sitting at a park table they ate their frozen treats, Mindy was content with her cold scoop of vanilla ice cream.**

**The thick silence was getting too much for Laura. She knew MacGim was stalling, she knew he had something important to tell her. "All right, we've walked and had a snack, now talk?" She badgered him.**

"**Dr. Wills' killer stole a car to escape from the sanatorium," he told Laura. "The car was found burnt about a mile from where James was found. Chief Innocent and some others thinks maybe James was Mr. Smith, Dr. Wills patient. James would have had time to steal the car and drive to Shellingford." **

**Laura could not find words to express her anger, her disbelief. "They're idiots," was all she could manage.**

"**I agree, Laura. I know Innocent has a job to do, but she always wants to make a quick arrest just to look good in the papers," he waved his short arms in frustration. "I can't remember how many times she's pushed Lewis, I and others to quickly arrest someone only to find out later we arrested the wrong person. What could we say to them? 'Sorry mate, hope you enjoyed your stay in our cells'." He shook his head in disbelief.**

"**Sometime...," he started to say more, but stopped when he heard approaching footsteps. **

"**Sorry to interrupt," Chief Innocent stood before them, Lewis was standing behind her. "We need to talk."**

"**If you're here to tell us James is a killer, I don't want to listen," Laura stood, she was about to walk away. Lewis put his arms out to stop her.**

"**No, just listen," his was upset.**

"**What?" she questioned. The Chief Superintendent and Lewis sat at the table. Laura slowly sat back down not taking her eyes off Innocent.**

"**Chief Constable Liam Glasgow is," she cleared her throat. Jean was too upset and too angry to talk.**

"**He was found dead at his country house," Lewis had no trouble telling the tragic news.**

"**When?" Shocked MacGim stuttered. "How?"**

"He apparently hung himself sometime Tuesday night Wednesday morning," Lewis continued, Innocent was still too upset to talk.

"**Suicide?" MacGim asked disbelieving. He did not like Glasgow, but he would never wished the man dead.**

"**The coroner, Dr. Cook, hasn't made any preliminary statements," Innocent finally spoke. "Apparently he does not want to make another mistake listing a death as suicide when it's not." Laura blushed, Cook once listed a woman's death as suicide by hanging when actually she was strangled by her husband. **

"**Where?" MacGim continued his one word questions.**

"**He had a house in Hatford off Sandy Lane," she fumbled for words. "About two miles from where James was found." Tears welled up in her eyes.**

**Boiling mad Laura defended James, "Are you telling me you think James killed Dr. Wills?"**

"**No, I don't think he killed anyone," Innocent whispered. **

"**Then who?" MacGim paced around the table.**

"**I'm thinking Jimmy Fitzroy was the amnesiac patient of Dr. Wills," Jean thought out loud. "I have no proof but I would bet my career Fitzroy killed Wills, attacked the nurse, Aisling Gillpatrick and now had something to do with Glasgow's death."**

"**James was never convinced Fitzroy was dead," Laura remembered reading James' tormented words in his journal. **

"**I've asked Dr. Wills' nurse, Sarah Swan to stop by," Jean explained what she had planed. "I want her to talk and look at James."**

"**Are you sure that's a good idea?" Laura questioned. "Erik was like a son to her."**

"**She's the only one that was around the patient, Mr. Smith," Jean continued to explain her idea. "I have pictures of Fitzroy and James. They look almost like brothers." She showed everyone the pictures. **

"**No kidding," MacGim was amazed at the similarities of the photos. "They look like twins." **

"**Here she comes," Innocent waved to the nurse walking through the park. **

**Lewis, MacGim and Hobson watched the elderly nurse walk toward them. **

"**Sarah, thank you for coming," Jean introduced the nurse to everyone. **

"**I have nothing else to do," Sarah's voice was full of emotions. Her eyes were red from crying. "Erik was the only reason I worked at Wycombe Hills."**

"**I know this is not going to be easy for you," Innocent held the photographs in her hand. **

"**No this will be easy," tears were flowing down the nurse's face. "What's not easy is holding a young girl's hand as she's bleeding. What's not easy is looking at a young man's life wasted by some bastard. This will be easy."**

**Innocent wanted to give the nurse time to control her feelings, she decided to question Sarah. "Can you tell us again what happened?" She placed the photos in her lap.**

"**My shift started at six Wednesday morning," the nurse took a deep calming breath. "I arrived early. Nurse Gillpatrick was not at the front desk. Her boyfriend, David Miller, said she went to look for Dr. Wills." Sarah paused to wipe the tears from her eyes.**

"**Erik was working in Mr. Smith's room," Sarah started to cry harder. Her words were becoming more difficult to understand. "It's my fault, I suggested he should work in that room. I thought it would be quiet. Oh God why? Why? Why did I have to suggest that!" She cried out loud.**

**Laura and Jean handed her some tissues and they tried to comfort her. "I'm sorry, Sarah," Jean apologized. "You don't have to continue."**

"**No, just give me a minute," she wiped her face. Lewis handed her a soda he bought off the ice cream truck. "Thank you." Sarah cleared her throat and sipped the soda. **

"**I saw Aisling laying in the doorway of Smith's room," she pause to take another sip. "I could see she was bleeding and then I saw Erik laying there, dead. That's when I pressed the emergency alarm locking the place down. But, I was too late Smith all ready escaped."**

"**Did you see anyone outside when you arrived?" MacGim asked the distraught nurse.**

"**Huh?" she did not understand him.**

"**Did you see anyone outside?" Lewis translated MacGims' thick Scotch accent.**

"**Just one car. When I drove in I saw someone leaving in a blue Vauxhall," she shook her head. "I didn't see who was driving."**

**Lewis whispered to MacGim, "A Vauxhall was found near Shellingfor." **

**MacGim looked at him with alarm. "This is bad," he replied. Lewis nodded in agreement.**

**Innocent placed several photos of James, Fitzroy, Glasgow and a few others from the mug shot book on the table in front of Sarah. "Do you recognize anyone in these photos?"**

**The nurse looked at each photo. She picked up a picture of James and one of Fitzroy. "Brothers?" She questioned. Innocent shook her head. Sarah looked at all the photos again. She tapped her finger on the photo of Glasgow, "This man visited the sanatorium yesterday."**

"**Whom was he visiting?" Lewis asked as he picked up the photo of Chief Glasgow.**

"**I don't know. He was signing in when I was leaving," an idea came to her. "You can look at the sanatorium visitors book. It should be written in there."**

**MacGim quickly scribbled a note reminding him to check the visitors book again. When he check the book a few days ago, the only familiar name was Mrs. O'Malley, James' neighbor. "About what time was this," he asked her.**

"**I was leaving, so around 9PM," she answered. "These two men look so much a like. Both could be Mr. Smith," Sarah held the photos of James and Fitzroy in her hands. "If I had to choose I would say this man is Mr. Smith. But, I would not want to swear to it," She pointed to the photo of James. **

**Lewis' heart sank. The evidence was stacking against his Sargen. He now was afraid to let Nurse Swan meet James. Laura's face was turning red with anger and fear. **

"**We have only one choice," Innocent whispered to Lewis. "She needs to see James."**

"Why? So she can hammer another nail into his coffin?" He argued.

"**We need to get to the bottom of this," she argued back. "Sarah, I have someone I would like you to meet."**

**Lewis ground his teeth together in anger and followed Chief Innocent and Nurse Swan. "Shall we all go to the inquisition?" Lewis growled under his breath to Laura and MacGim.**

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	27. Chapter 27

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**Chapter 27**

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**Innocent gently pushed on the door to James' room, peeing in to see if he was awake. PC Bell, sat in a chair next to James reading the newspaper out loud. Mindy had squeezed herself on to the bed next to James so he could pet her.**

"**Come in Ma'am," James invited Chief Innocent.**

"**How did you know I was here," she asked. James' eyes were still bandage. **

"**I'm a detective," he smiled. James could hear her faintly snort. "I can smell your lilac perfume." He finally confessed.**

**Realizing her perfume gave her presence away, Innocent moved closer to the bed. "James, I have someone I would like you to meet," Innocent motioned for Sarah. Sarah approached the bed looking at James. "James, this is Sarah Swan."**

"Hello," confused, James wonder why Innocent was introducing him to anyone. 

"**Hi, James," she shook her head and shrugged her shoulder. "What happened?" She questioned him so she could hear his voice.**

"**I really don't remember too much. Why?" He was even more confused.**

"**I would like to help you remember," Sarah held his hand and looked at his wrist. She knew right then this young man laying before her in the hospital bed did not kill Dr. Wills. She turned to Chief Innocent. "This is not Mr. Smith."**

"**How..," relieved Innocent stuttered.**

"**Who?" James questioned. He wanted to know what was going on.**

"**Smith's hands are much larger than James'," she smiled as she held James' hand. "Smith's hands were huge and he had a scar on his left wrist." She drew a line on James' wrist to show where Smith's scar was. **

**James could hear a collective sigh of relief from everyone the room. "What's this about?" he asked.**

"**Sarah is a nurse at Wycombe Hills Sanatorium in High Wycombe," Lewis informed his friend. **

"**And?" James asked needing more information.**

"**We had an amnesiac patient at Wycombe and they thought you might have been him," Sarah explained. "I'm thrilled to say you are not that man."**

"**Why?" he asked.**

"**He killed a doctor while escaping," Sarah continued to hold James' hand. "Mr. Smith also attacked a young nurse."**

"**And you thought I was this Mr. Smith?" He felt betrayed. "Thanks!" He said sarcastically. "Nice to know who your friends are."**

"**James, I'm uhm, I just wanted to tell you..." she hummed and stammered trying to apologize.**

**James interrupted, "You said Smith attacked a nurse. Is she all right?" He wanted to change the subject. He did not want to listen to Innocent attempting to apologize, she was never very good at apologizing to anyone.**

"**Aisling Gillpatrick is her name," Sarah told him about the young Irish nurse. "She's going to be fine. And the good news is her boyfriend, David, finally asked her to marry him."**

"**I'm happy something good has come from all this," he dryly spoke. He was tired and the pain in his head was starting to become unbearable. Innocent's thinking he killed someone was not helping. All James wanted was to be left alone.**

**Before he could say anything to his friends, he heard someone walking into the room. James hoped the new person would be a nurse coming to chase everyone away.**

"**Rebecca!" Sarah was surprised to see Dr. Wills girlfriend.**

"**Sarah, I didn't expect," Rebecca couldn't speak. Her voice choked with emotions.**

"**Come. Sit," the elderly nurse left James' side and steered the young distraught veterinarian to a nearby chair.**

**When Mindy heard a familiar voice she bolted from the bed leaving James alone. Mindy's tail was wagging and her tongue was licking Rebecca's face enthusiastically.**

**The emotional reunion between the veterinarian and Mindy brought tears to everyone's eyes. Rebecca was so thrilled to see the dog she thought was lost, she cried uncontrollably.**

"Oh, Mindy, I thought I lost you too," Rebecca cried as she hugged the dog. "I heard there was a dog." Tears of joy interrupted. 

"**This is Mindy? Your Mindy?" Sarah questioned. **

"**Oh God, thank you. Thank you," she buried her face into the dog's neck and cried harder. Days of an emotional roller-coaster finally came to a head when she once again held Mindy.**

"**Rebecca, shhh. Hush now," Sarah tried to console her friend. "It's all right."**

**Sarah turned to the others. "This is Rebecca Myers. She and Dr. Wills were very close."**

**Everyone stood around them watching the dog and Rebecca reunite. Innocent tried to wipe the tears from her eyes without anyone noticing. She had grown fond of the scruffy stray that led them to her Sargent.**

**-l-l-l-**

**James never thought he could feel any more lonely until now. When Mindy left his side to be with her owner, he felt empty and all alone in the universe. He had grown attached to the dog he never seen, to the dog that saved his life. He loved petting her and playing with her soft ears. He always felt safe when she was around, something he has not felt in a while. Now all that was gone the instant _she_ walked through the door. **

**His mind was racing, James was not listening to any of the conversations. He knew everyone was clustered around the woman that came to take his dog away. All he wanted to do was cry out for Mindy to return, but she belonged to someone else. **

**James tried to talk himself into believing everything would be all right. He tried to force himself into thinking he never wanted that dog, any dog, but his mind refused to believe. **

**The stress of loosing the dog he fell in love with, added to being accused of murder was causing James' head to ache. The pain was growing. He felt as if his head was about explode.**

**James tried to focus on pushing the pain away. He was biting his lips to keep from crying out aloud. James did not want the others know he was in any pain, however one knew. **

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	28. Chapter 28

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**Chapter 28**

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**James' lips quivered as he tried to push back the pain and the loneliness. He took a deep shuttering breath and continued to bite his lips to hold his silence. **

**Mindy left Rebecca and quickly returned to her new friend. She settled in beside James pushing her nose underneath his trembling hand. Her tail thumped hard causing the bed to gently vibrate. **

**Mindy notice James was not paying attention to her, so she crawled closer to his face to lick his earlobe hoping he would notice her. Slowly his hand move to touch her. She eagerly licked his neck letting James know she was there for him. She would always be there.**

**The screaming in his mind instantly stopped when he felt something cold and wet tickle his ear. James could feel Mindy licking him. She was back. "Oh girl, I'll miss you," he whispered to her as he rubbed her. "I'll truly miss you."**

**Lewis watch the bonding between Mindy and James. He knew with Rebecca showing up to claim her lost dog, his friend would sadly miss his furry companion. Lewis wanted to say something to the veterinarian, but he did not know how to approach her about leaving Mindy with James until he was better. Lewis could see James clutching Mindy as if he was afraid for her to leave. **

**They all could hear James whispering to Mindy. Rebecca was not surprised to see the close bond between the dog and the injured man in the hospital bed. "I'm not here to take Mindy away," she explained. "I just... I just wanted to see if she was ….." Tears prevented her from saying anymore. **

**Sarah hugged her, "It's all right, Rebecca. Mindy's fine." She led Rebecca to the bedside chair. "Sit here next to James. James, this is Rebecca Myers. Bec, this is Sargent James Hathaway." Sarah introduced them.**

"**I'm sorry for being such a wreck," Rebecca dried the tears from her face. "This week has been one nightmare after another." She took a deep calming breath. "I returned last week from being out of the country. Only to hear Corporal Malcolm Christmas died in a car crash and Mindy was missing. Then Erik was…." the rest was left unsaid. "I had to come here today to see if by chance the dog I've been hearing about was Mindy." Her fingers accidentally brushed against James' hand as she petted Mindy.**

**James could feel her soft delicate fingers, he so much wanted to touch more of her hand. "I'm sorry about your friend," James softly spoke. "Were you two close?" He cringed as soon as the words left his lips. "Sorry, I do not mean to pry."**

"**You're not prying. We were getting close, but..." Rebecca was blushing. She wish she could look into this man's eyes. "What happen to you, Mr. Hathaway?"**

**Now James was the one blushing. He smiled wishing he could see her. Her voice was intoxicating, he could listen to her talk for hours. His hand was stroking Mindy and absently touching Rebecca. **

**Lewis notice the color returning to Jame's face, something he has not seen in days. He did not think Mindy was the reason for the change. Rebecca and James were bonding as much as James and Mindy.**

**Lewis was distracted from his thoughts when someone gently tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see who wanted his attention, Nurse Peters and student nurse Montgomery stood in the doorway. The nurse motioned for Lewis and the others to follow her out of the room. **

**Everyone filed into the hall leaving Rebecca and James to quietly chat. Neither one notice the others leaving. They were both mesmerized by the other.**

**Nurse Faye Peters nodded toward James and Rebecca, "Who's the young lady James is infatuated with? Hello, Sarah. What brings you here?"**

"**That's Rebecca Myers the veterinarian, Dr. Erik Wills was dating," Sarah answered. "She just learned about Mindy being here."**

"**I say she's doing Mr. Hathaway a lot of good," Faye remarked. "I didn't think I would ever see a genuine smile from him. He's looking a lot better than he did this morning." Faye let the door close quietly behind her. "Give them a little bit of time alone then you can go back in to say good night." **

**Faye led James' friends and colleagues to a family waiting room. "Tomorrow James has a big day," she offered everyone coffee. "Dr. Moore will remove the bandages. With luck James will have his sight back. After that we plan to get him out of bed and on his feet."**

"**So soon?" Questioned Innocent.**

"**The sooner the better. He won't fall apart," she tried to ease their minds. "Despite how it might feel to him."**

**They sat and sipped the awful tasting coffee and chatted. Innocent's mobile rang. She excused herself and left the room to return shortly. **

"**That was DC Hooper, forensics found Jimmy Fitzroy's fingerprints at Glasgow's country estate and at his Oxford house," Innocent informed her officers. "The pathology report states Glasgow's neck was broken then he was strung up to look like suicide." **

"**Any information on where Fitzroy might be hiding?" MacGim asked.**

"**No, uniformed checked his mother's house and grandfather's estate," Innocent replied. "They questioned them, but nothing new."**

**She paused to let the information sink in. "Robbie, I'm needed at the station. Please tell James I will stop by later and good luck for tomorrow," she turned to leave, but remembered something. "Oh, PC Bell, I have assigned you to work with DI Lewis. Keep your mind and ears opened and you might learn something."**

**Lewis started to protest, but Innocent left before any words were uttered. He looked at Bell who was just as shocked as he was. "At least I know you have some brains," he mumbled.**

**MacGim chuckled, "Welcome to the club, Lad." He slapped Bell hard on the back. "As a new member of the club you get to buy the rounds tonight. You are old enough to drink?" He teased.**

**Bell beamed with pride, but silently was shaking in his boots. "Thank you, I'm ever so proud to work with you Inspector Lewis," he eagerly shook his new governor's hand. **

**The group quickly said good night leaving James and Mindy to rest. Lewis did not tell James about his new assigned partner. He hoped the partnership would be a short one. **

**Nurse Peters appraised James on his Monday morning schedule. He was excited hoping to have his eyesight back by noon. He so much wanted to see Rebecca with his eyes, her voice was sweet and soothing. He slept through the night without interruption, just dreaming sweet dreams.**

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	29. Chapter 29

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**Chapter 29**

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**The morning could not arrive quick enough for James. He mentally paced, rubbing Mindy's back vigorously. She was enjoying the attention she was receiving. **

**Finally, he heard the door open and someone approaching his bed. "Good morning, Mr. Hathaway," Dr. Moore greeted his patient. "Are you ready for me to remove those annoying bandages?"**

"**Yes Sir," James crossed his fingers.**

"**Good," Dr. Moore slowly unwrapped the bandages. With only one layer of gauze still to remove, he informed James to keep his eyes closed until he was told to open them. The ophthalmologist dimmed the room lights and slowly removed the last layer. He poured some warm liquid across James' eyes and dried them. "Okay James, slowly open your eyes."**

**James slowly opened his eyes, the room was dark. He could not see anything, but dark shadows. His heart raced with fear, his breathing deepened with panic. He could only see a blurry light Dr. Moore was waving before his eyes. **

"**How's that?" The doctor asked.**

"**Just fuzziness," fear and anger boiled inside him. The doctor flushed his eye some more, but only causing James to loose hope of ever gaining his eyesight back.**

**Disappointed Dr. Moore dropped his head down and sighed. "These things take time," trying to sound cheerful.**

"**Please, do not give me that," James snapped. "And do not cover my eyes again." Tears were streaming freely down his face. He blinked several times trying to clear his eyes, but the room before him stayed blurry.**

"**I'll check back in a couple days, Mr. Hathaway," Dr. Moore moved toward the door. "James, this is not the end. Your eyesight can return today, tomorrow, next week. Don't give up."**

**James bit his lower lip and cursed. He heard the doctor leave, but he could hear someone enter the room. "Mr. Hathaway," Nurse Peters had entered. **

"**I don't want to," James did not want to listen to anyone telling him how sorry they were. He wanted to be left alone.**

"**We need to get you up and moving around," she interrupted him. "Feeling sorry for yourself won't do any good. Mindy, off the bed." Mindy quickly licked James and jumped off the bed into a chair. Faye moved to the head of the bed to unhook the oxygen. **

"**You won't be needing this thing anymore," she slowly raised the head of the bed. "You might feel as if your chest is going to fall apart, but I promise you, you'll stay together. We've put enough glue, tape and staples in you to hold you together."**

"**I don't want to," James protested again.**

"**I don't care what you want, Mr. Hathaway," the nurse argued back. "I'm the boss here and you do what I tell you. Now, roll to your left side and swing your legs over. I'll help you with the cast." **

**Painfully and reluctantly James rolled onto his side, with help he was able to move his legs over to the edge of the bed. His head was pounding, bright lights danced before his eyes. He felt like the bones in his chest were grinding together. He bit his lip more to hold the pain back. **

"**I know your in a little bit of pain, but you'll feel better soon. Now just sit there until you've caught your breath," she coaxed her young patient. "I've called for a couple orderlies to help."**

"**A _bit, _is a major understatement," James groaned. He felt hot and sweaty as he struggled to catch his breath. Every bone in his body burned and ached. James felt as if he was fixing to throw up, when suddenly a dark shadow moved close to his face causing him to flinch. _'Maybe having my eyes covered was not such a bad idea,' _he thought.**

**Someone placed an oxygen mask up to his mouth and a cold moist cloth dabbed across his forehead. "This might help," the nurse held the wet cloth to James' face. She noticed he was breathing easier. "James, we're going to move you to a wheelchair now. Just relax and let them do all the work."**

**James could see two shadows approach him. He wondered if this is what all blind people saw, fuzzy shadows, light fuzzy shadows, dark fuzzy shadows and more shadows. He cursed under his breath. **

**Even though he knew the orderlies were going to move him, James still jumped a little when he felt two sets of large hands gently move him. "Sorry, Mr. Hathaway," one orderly apologized. "Didn't mean to startle you."**

"**Can this collar be removed?" James begged the nurse.**

"**A new set of x-rays have been ordered for tomorrow," she tried to give him some hope. "If everything looks good then I'll be more than happy to remove the collar."**

"**Yeah, sure," he was feeling defeated. **

**Faye shook her head, she wanted to feel sorry for the young Sargent. However, she also knew feeling sorry for any patient would only make things worse for them. **

**Faye held the door open for the orderly as he pushed James into the hall. "Take him outside for some fresh air," she told him. "James, Nurse Montgomery is going to give Mindy a bath. Mindy will be waiting for you when you return."**

"**Whatever," he mumbled.**

**-l-l-l-**

**The orderly wheeled James outside. He could hear traffic from the streets. He felt the warm March sunshine on his face. He was feeling better smelling the spring air.**

**The ride to the park was taking longer than James thought. The rough path was causing him some discomfort. "How much farther?" he questioned the orderly. James heard the orderly mumble something, but he could not understand.**

**Finally the orderly stopped the wheelchair, parking him in the comforting sun. James could smell the flowers and fresh cut grass. And he also smelled something that he had been craving for a week, a cigarette. **

"**Can I have a smoke?" He asked the man who pushed him outside.**

"**Of course, James," the orderly replied.**

**James heart stopped, he held his breath. The familiar deep sinister voice of the orderly chilled him. "Fitzroy!" James growled. **

"**I'm glad you remember me," Jimmy Fitzroy laughed. "The look on your face is just priceless, James my old friend. Just priceless." He held the cigarette up to James lips.**

**James moved his head back the best he could. He did not want anything to do with Fitzroy or his cigarette. He tried to move the chair, but the wheels were locked, James was helpless.**

"**Ah, don't you smoke anymore, James?" Fitzroy teased. "I remember when you couldn't step outside without lighting one up." He waved the hot end of the cigarette around James' face. James could feel the heat. He tried to move away, but the collar prevented him from turning his head.**

"**Oh, settle down, I'm not going to hurt you. Right now," the man continued to torment James. "She won't let me. We just want to talk. We never talked much before. Now we have all the time in the world."**

"**What do you want, Fitzroy?" James tried to hide the fear in his voice.**

"**Take a puff," he demanded. James clinched his mouth shut, but the man forced his lips apart to shoved the cigarette in. James coughed the smoke burned his bruised lungs. **

"**You're turning red, James. Can't breathe?" The man took a deep draw on the cigarette and blew the smoke into James' face. "I couldn't breathe when you put me in jail. YOU BASTARD!" He slapped James hard across the face. "Sorry, I'm calm. See I'm calm." Fitzroy ground the cigarette into James' arm. **

**James clinched his teeth together and breathed hard through his nose trying not to give Fitzroy the satisfaction of him screaming. The pain in his arm was becoming unbearable, then the cigarette was removed. James calmed his breathing and slowly opened his eyes, tears of pain rolled down his face. He tried to look at his tormentor, but James could only see a dark shape before him.**

"**I understand you've been having a bad week. Too bad," Fitzroy cooed. "I've got you beat, my last four years have bad for me. We're here to make you better."**

"**I don't give a damn anymore," James spit. His breath was coming is short pants. "Go ahead and kill me."**

"**Eeewww, has someone given up on life? Is little Jameszee mad and doesn't want to play with me?" Fitzroy baby talked. "Well, too damn bad. I'll kill you when I feel like it!" He wrenched James' face hard and held it close to his. **

**James was gagging on the man's foul breath. His mind was racing, trying to figure out what he could do. The man who killed Cynthia was right here in his face and he was unable to do anything. He felt useless. He tried to yell for help, but Fitzroy slapped him harder. **

"**Now James, you mustn't yell or we can't play together," Fitzroy talked to James as if he were a two year old. "I've waited a long time. Cynthia and I've been planing this for years. So, sit there and wait until I'm done then I might let you die. Might!"**

"**Cynthia's dead," James groaned. "You killed her, remember?"**

"**I know she's dead you fucking idiot! You made me kill her," he grabbed James' face squeezing hard. "She still talks to me daily. She's talking to me right now. She wants you dead."**

**Fitzroy's cold voice pierced his heart sending chills and fear throughout his whole body. James tried to feel indifferent, he thought he wanted to give up and die, but now all he wanted to do was fight. He wanted to live to see this man pay for his crimes.**

**-l-l-l-**


	30. Chapter 30

**-l-l-l-**

**Chapter 30**

**-l-l-l-**

**Lewis decided the first business of the day was to check on James. He wanted to know if he regained his sight. But, today was the first day with his new "partner", PC Bell, so he had a lot of paper work to finish before he could go to the hospital. Lewis did not mind Bell, he just did not like the breaking in period. **

**He and Hathaway were perfect. Both men knew what the other was thinking when they were on a case. They could look at one another and knew what needed to be done next. Now, Lewis was stuck training a new partner, a kid too young to know anything about life. He felt he was getting too old to break-in new partners. Lewis hoped this partnership would be a the shortest one in history.**

**Bell and Lewis were finally able to go to the hospital after lunch. When they arrived the men saw nurse Peters and student nurse Miss Montgomery walking outside the hospital with Mindy. **

**Lewis noticed his temporary partner had perked up and was puffing his chest out when he saw the young nurse. Bell reminded him of a bantam rooster strutting around the barn yard. He could not help but smile at the young man.**

"**Morning, Nurse Peters, Miss Montgomery," Lewis greeted the nurses. "How's James?"**

"**Well, we're looking for him right now," Faye hesitated to say. **

"**Where's he at?" Bell asked before Lewis could.**

"**I had an orderly take him outside, but we can't find them," she explained.**

**Lewis had a bad feeling nagging him. "Bell, call..." **

"**All ready called for backup," Bell informed. "Can you tell me what this orderly looks like?" He asked the nurses.**

"**Where have you looked?" Lewis questioned. He was scanning the area for any signs of James.**

"**We've looked in the hospital park where they were suppose to be," Peters offered. "I've called the fourth floor and they've not seen him. The orderly is tall. Fair skin. He wore a ball cap so I could not see his hair." **

"**Do you know the orderly's name?" Bell asked. **

"**No, I've never seen this man before," the nurse replied.**

**Bell handed her a picture of Fitzroy, "Did the orderly that had Sargent Hathaway look like this man?" Lewis was impressed with Bell's quick and professional detective work. He was a natural.**

**Nurse Peters and Montgomery looked at the photograph, "Could be, but I can't swear."**

**Mindy pulled hard on her lead and barked toward the city park across the street. She pulled and clawed toward the street. Yulissa Montgomery held the barking dog back. **

**PC Bell and Lewis looked at each other, without a word Lewis grabbed the leash and Bell, Lewis and Mindy raced across the street dodging traffic toward the park. Yulissa and Faye followed the trio a little more cautiously.**

**-l-l-l-**

"**No James, I've been thinking of ways to make you pay for killing Cynthia," Fitzroy took a small knife from his pocket and toyed with the blade. "It's your fault she's dead, James. I liked Cynthia. I liked her a lot. We were planning on spending the rest of our lives together, until you showed up." He held the knife to James' face. **

**James' breath caught in his throat when he felt the cold sharp blade against his cheek. He could feel the metal digging into his face. Fitzroy played with the knife on James' face drawing blood.**

"**There, I think that makes you look better," he told James. "When I'm done, the ladies will not even give you a second look." He roughly removed the collar around James' neck and held the bloody knife to his throat.**

"**Maybe I will end it quickly for you. Naaaa, I want to play longer, James," the sadistic voice whispered into James' ear. "Yes, James, oh yes!" His voice was deep with passion as he slowly pulled the blade across James' throat. Deep enough to bleed, but not to kill.  
**

**James felt blood dripping from his face and neck wounds. He held his breath waiting for the final stab, but Fitzroy kept playing his games. "Kill me, you bastard," James grunted through clinched teeth. "What are you waiting for?"**

"**No!" Fitzroy yelled as he pulled the knife quickly from James. "You don't tell me what to do. I know what needs to be done. I know what I need to do. Cynthia told me what to do."**

**James was confused, "I told you. You killed Cynthia. She can't tell you to do anything."**

"**Oh, but you're wrong, as usual. She talks to me all the time," Jimmy held the knife to his forehead. "Cynthia talks to me all the time. And guess who else talks to me?" He waited for James to answer. "I said guess!" He stabbed the knife into James' thigh.**

"**AGGHHH!" James yelled when he felt the sharp blade sink into his right leg. "YOU BASTARD!" He rolled his head back trying to catch his breath. Sharp burning pain shot through his leg, causing his whole body to shake. He grabbed the knife with his hand.**

"**I SAID TO GUESS?" Fitzroy twisted the knife out, cutting James' hand. He held the blood dripping blade to James' mouth. "Tell me or I'll cut your tongue out!"**

"**Glasgow!" he hissed through the pain. "You killed Glasgow and now he's talking to you. You kill me then I get to talk to you, too." James clinched his teeth tightly trying to push the pain away.**

**Fitzroy jumped away from James and paced around. "No. No, I don't want that," Fitzroy put his hands up to his head to massage his temples. "If I kill you, then you and Cynthia would get back together. She'll always be talking to you and never to me." The sick man paced. **

"**I got it," he triumphantly held the knife high above his head and slowly pointed the bloody blade toward James. "I'll make you suffer everyday. Then you'll remember me everyday. You'll never forget what you made me do to Cynthia, to Glasgow and to you." He walked slowly toward James aiming the knife. **

**James could not see the knife, but he could see Fitzroy approaching. He could see he had something in his hand. James pushed back into the wheelchair trying to stay away from the crazed mad man. He closed his eye not wanting to see anymore.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Mindy pulled and raced toward a tall row of hedges. Lewis could hear shouting, but he could not tell the direction the angry voices were coming from. He let the dog lead the way, hoping she knew where to go.**

**They weaved through the thick hedgerow and squeezed through an opening. Lewis and Bell stopped when they saw a man waving a knife toward James. Lewis signal to Bell, however Bell was all ready sending a text message to Chief Innocent and MacGim. **

**Mindy hunched down and quietly waited. She kept her eyes on the man with the knife. She knew he was bad, she knew she needed to help her friend. Lewis dropped the leash allowing Mindy to crawl slowly forward waiting for the right moment to attack. **

**Lewis quietly stepped closer to James. He could see the knife was now held against James' face.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Fitzroy grabbed James' face roughly. "Open your eyes. I want you to see this coming," Fitzroy yelled. "I want you to remember this day, everyday for the rest of your miserable life."**

"**I'm blind, you bastard," James snapped back. **

**Fitzroy released his grip, "What?" He waved his hands in front of James' eyes. "You mean to tell me you can't see?" James nodded his head, afraid to speak. "Ha ha ha ha ha! So, I'm too late for your eyes. Humm, how about your ears? Maybe your tongue?" Fitzroy approached James holding the blade firmly in his right hand.**

**-l-l-l-**

"**James! James!," Lewis held his partner's face. "James open your eyes." He called to his friend.**

**James waited for Fitzroy to inflict more pain. He held his breath waiting, not know what was to come. He could feel the man's hands on his face, he could hear him yelling.**

"**JAMES!" Lewis shouted. "Open your bloody eyes, man. Come on, it's me! James, it's me Lewis." He gently slapped James' face with the open palm of his hand.**

"**What!" Disbelieving, James slowly opened his eyes. He could see a fuzzy shadow, but he could not tell who was the shadow.**

"**James, it's me, Robbie. Robbie Lewis. You're all right, James," relieved to see the man finally recognizing him, Lewis cradled James' head in his arms. **

"**Sir?" James spoke around Lewis' clutching arms. "Sir, what happened?"**

"**Get him back to the hospital," Nurse Peters ordered nurse Montgomery.**

"**Go with her," Lewis pulled Bell away from Fitzroy. "I'll take care of him."**

**-l-l-l-**


	31. Chapter 31

**-l-l-l-**

**Chapter 31**

**-l-l-l-**

"**What happened," Innocent demanded. "How did this happened?"**

**Lewis cleaned his bloody hands with a disposable sanitizing towelette. He rolled his eyes at the demanding impatient Chief Superintendent. "Can this wait," he held his red stained shirt away from his chest. **

**Jean looked at the body sprawled on the ground. "Is that Fitzroy?" The dead man's face was turned away from her. "How did this happen?"**

**Lewis nodded. "I don't know. He... the knife... he must have..." he could not explain. Blood pooled around the dead man. There were bloody shoe prints. Blood was on the hedges, the sidewalk, everywhere.**

"**Where's James?" she asked. Lewis' eyes looked toward the hospital. "Is he all right?"**

"**I don't know," Lewis tossed the towelette into an evidence bag. **

**-l-l-l-**

"**James Hathaway!" Innocent scolded. "Despite what he did, you should not be glad he's dead."**

"**Sorry, Ma'am," he apologized. "That is how I feel. I did not think I could have ever felt so much hate in my life toward one person as I did toward Fitzroy."**

"**Still...Whatever," Jean refrained from arguing. "Can you tell us what happened?"**

**James sighed and rolled his eyes. "I did not see anything," he pointed to his useless eyes. "All I _heard_ was Fitzroy threatening me. I felt him burning me, stabbing me and cutting me. Then I remembered DI Lewis calling my name." James recited the short version.**

"**Sargent, I need a more detailed report," Innocent reprimanded. "I'll let you rest for now. However, I will be back in the morning." She left the room giving Lewis a threatening look. "Talk to him, Lewis and I expect your report on my desk in the morning. Do I make my self clear?"**

"**Yes, Ma'am," Lewis looked at the floor trying to hide his smile. "First thing in the morning, Ma'am."**

"**She gone?" James whispered. Mindy moved from underneath the covers where she had been hiding from all the yelling.**

"**No I'm not gone, Sargent," she called over her shoulder. She bumped into her Scottish detective who was standing in the doorway. "Oh, MacGim? Sorry I did not see you. See if you can talk some sense into Hathaway." **

"**You might want to see this before you leave, Ma'am," MacGim's thick accent sang. "Apparently, Fitzroy had a camcorder recording him and James. I've got a copy." He proudly held a jewel case and a portable DVD player.**

"**He was recording everything?" Innocent could not believe their luck. "Well, don't just stand there. Show us."**

"**Your wish is my command," he gave a playful bow and had a twinkle in his eyes. MacGim put the DVD into the player, he fumbled around searching for the play button.**

"**Here," Bell pressed the correct button.**

"**Smart arse," MacGim quipped. The monitor flashed to life and the face of the dead man appeared on the screen. **

"**_This is my good friend, Liam Glasgow,"_ Fitzroy moved from the view of the camcorder to show Chief Glasgow hanging. _"Sorry, he doesn't have anything to say. Oh well. He was no good. See, Cynthia, I did what you said. I killed him like you wanted. I know he promised you a promotion if you did things with him. Now he won't be making any more empty promises."_**

**The ravings of a mad man echoed in the silent room. James sat in his bed, silent. He did not want to ever hear that sick man's voice again. "Turn it off," he begged. "Please!"**

**Lewis looked at his partner then turned to Innocent. She agreed. "We'll be back. Get some rest, James." Innocent patted the young Sargent's shoulder.**

**James sighed in relief. Then he let the tears flow. "Oh Cynthia, what did they do to you," he cried. "I'm so sorry." Mindy licked his face and James welcomed her comfort. **

"**Girl, I don't know what I would do without you," he buried his face in her neck. Crying.**

**-l-l-l-**

**Bell found an empty room nearby. They all gathered around the DVD player and continued to watch a demented man's recording.**

"**_Now, Cynthia, I'll take care of James for you," _the camera jiggled and shut off. The screen went blue for a second, then Fitzroy appeared before the camera again. _"Hello my darling. You see that building? James is in there, Cynthia. I'll get him for you and bring him here. You wait here for us. Alright?" _He kissed the camera.**

**Again the camera clicked off and the screen went blue. Then camera click to life. They watched James being wheeled into view of the camera. Fitzroy knew exactly where to place the chair so James would be in perfect frame.**

**They all watched without saying a word as Fitzroy abused James. Burned him with a cigarette. Tormenting their friend with a knife. Stabbing him. Cutting his face. Ripping off the neck brace. Slicing James' throat. Never enough to kill, just light enough to cause pain and to draw blood.**

**Lewis could barely keep his food down. He was getting sick to his stomach watching Fitzroy inflict pain on James. **

**They listen to Fitzroy yelling at James. Talking to Cynthia. Then without warning Mindy and Bell appeared. **

"**_Stop!" _Fitzroy warned._ "Cynthia! Help!" _Then Fitzroy took the knife and harshly dragged the blade across his own throat. The man looked into the camera. Blood spilled from the gaping neck wound. Blood bubbled out his moving wordless lips, only a gurgling sound came from the dieing man. **

**Bell tried to reach out to stop Fitzroy, but he was too late. He turned away from the bloody mess. The video revealed all. Lewis kneeling trying to help the dead man. Him wiping the blood off his hands onto his shirt. Trying to get James to talk to him. Other people arriving, blocking view of the hidden camera. Then, the final thing it showed was a PC discovering the electronic witness. The monitor went blue and the room was silent.**

"**Wow!" Bell uttered.**

"**Yeah, Wow!" Innocent chimed. "This is the best evidence we could ever have."**

"**He was a sick man," MacGim muttered.**

"**I need a drink," Lewis had a sour taste in his mouth. "Bell, you're driving." He tossed him the keys.**

"**And you're buying," MacGim tossed his keys to the newest member.**

"**Drink a couple for me," Innocent suggested. "I have a mountain of paperwork at the office. I still expect your report on my desk first thing in the morning, Lewis." They smiled at each other as she left the room.**

"**Here's my keys, Rowen," Yulissa slowly ran her fingers across his chest smiling. She dangled her keys on the end of her long index finger for him to grab. He leaned forward taking the keys and gaving her a long passionate kiss.**

"**Come on, Romeo," Lewis bellowed. "You better have deep pockets 'cause I'm really thirsty." **

**-l-l-l-**

**James finally raised his head from Mindy, "You smell good, Girl." He hugged the dog. **

"**Why thank you, Mr. Hathaway," Rebecca startled James. He did not hear her when she entered the room. "I didn't mean to make you jump."**

"**That's okay. I thought I was loosing my mind hearing the dog talk," he smiled. Her voice was so sweet sounding. **

"**I heard what happened today and wanted to stop by," she sat in the chair next to the bed. "Are you all right?"**

"**Yeah. Just tired," he mumbled. James reached up to wipe any remaining tears from his eyes, only to painfully be reminded his fingers were bandage and in a brace. "AGGH! Oh shit! That hurts!" His face turned red with embarrassment, he did not mean to cuss out loud. "I'm sorry. I think I tried to blind myself," he joked. "Too late, I'm all ready blind." He smiled dryly.**

"**You shouldn't be so negative, Mr. Hathaway," her voice melted his soul.**

"**James, please," he purred. "I'm sorry that I, um, well used such..."**

"**Oh please don't apologize for cussing," she held his hand to reassure him. "I have seven brothers and four uncles. My mom and I were the only two legged girls at the dairy."**

**He tried to look at her with his useless eyes. Since he stuck the finger brace in his eye all he could see was black. Everything was pitch black. Worried, this time he cautiously rubbed his eyes trying to bring back the fuzzy light he saw before.**

"**James, are you okay?" She tenderly touched his shoulder. He did not hear. "Let me call a nurse."**

"**No. Please don't," he begged. "I'm tired of nurses. They will run you off. And I don't..." He blushed as he held onto her small soft hand. He caressed her hand with his two non-bandaged fingers. "I just want to listen to your voice." **

**_'Oh gawd, did I say that out loud?'_ He thought. _'She's going to think I'm an idiot.' _**

**Rebecca blushed. Their fingers danced and played. "Do you know when you will be released?"**

**He shook his head, "I really want to go home and sleep in my own bed. And not have anyone wake me, asking if I was okay." He rambled. He searched his mind for anything intelligent to say.**

"**I've been lucky, I've never been in hospital," she filled the empty silence. "Just visited when one of my sister-in-laws had a kid. I spend most of my days in surgery."**

"You're a doctor?" _'Beautiful and intelligent,'_ he thought. 

"**I'm a veterinarian," she proudly announced. **

"**That's right, I forgot. Is that how you met Mindy?" he was curious.**

"**Yeah," she shyly replied. "I was in Afghanistan volunteering at an animal rescue shelter when I heard about a dog that led soldiers to Corporal Christmas. He was badly wounded from a suicide bomber. The dog stayed at the field hospital with Malcolm until they transferred him back to the UK. He didn't want to leave her so I started the long long long process of paper work to bring her to England. They were re-united about two years ago. Since then Christmas and Mindy have been traveling around the country helping wounded soldiers and raising money to rescue more dogs and cats from Afghanistan and Iraq."**

**James closed his eyes to the dark world and relaxed listening to her talk. _'Intelligent and a humanitarian," _he smiled to himself._ 'She's got to be from Heaven.'_**

"**James?" Rebecca questioned the quiet man. "I'll see you tomorrow." She kissed the sleeping man on his forehead and then kissed Mindy. "You take care of him, Miss Mindy. I'll see you tomorrow."**

**-l-l-l-**

"**Dr. Myers?" Lewis called to Rebecca as she left James' room.**

"**Inspector Lewis, how nice to see you again," she gave him a hug. "I think I talked him to sleep."**

"Robbie, please. I'm sure he would have stayed awake if he could," Lewis offered her the cup of tea he had for James. 

"**Thank you. He's in better shape than I would have been," she sipped the tea, soothing her dry throat. "This hits the spot. Thank you."**

"**Listen, I'm meeting Dr. Hobson and the others for dinner, would you like to join us?" He invited her. "I have a lot to tell her about today's events. You might like to hear."**

"**Thank you," she eagerly accepted the gracious offer.**

**Lewis and Rebecca met Laura, MacGim, Bell and Yulissa Montgomery at Cherwell Boathouse. The men told Laura and Rebecca about Fitzroy and James. They chatted and relaxed for hours enjoying each others company and forgetting about the time. **

**-l-l-l-**

**James did not know how long he had been asleep. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. "Hey, HEY!" He shouted. "Oh thank you." He smiled and searched the room looking for Mindy and for the lady with the sultry voice. **

**His eye rested on the dog laying next to him. "Mindy?" She was beautiful. Her golden yellow and black fur was shiny and soft. "I can see you, Mindy."**

**Mindy thumped her tail eagerly. She licked his hand and laid back down to sleep. **

**-l-l-l-**

"**Shhhh, you will get me into trouble," Yulissa whispered a warning to the others. They all were a little tipsy, but they wanted to see James. "Common." The small inebriated group staggered down the hallway into James' room.**

"**Hey James?" Lewis loudly whispered. **

"**Hey what?" James replied. He flicked the side light on. "I can see you!" **

**The news quickly sobered the group. "What?" "When?" "How?" Questions filled the air. **

**James looked the happy group over searching for the one face to match the soothing voice. His eyes fell upon a dark hair lady with fair skin. "Rebecca?"**

**She tilted her head down and looked at him shyly. "Yeah?"**

"**Nice to see you," they smiled at one another.**

**-l-l-l-**


	32. Epilogue

**-l-l-l-**

**Epilogue **

**-l-l-l-**

"**You look like I feel," James teased Lewis. **

"**Don't talk so loud, please," he held a cold compress to his forehead. Keeping his eyes closed tight.**

"**Okay," James whispered. "It was still funny to see your faces when that nurse found you here at two in the morning, drinking."**

"**Don't remind me," he flinched. "Has the doctor been by?"**

"**He stopped by while you were loudly sleeping," James lowered his voice when he saw his partner cringe. He looked a PC Bell sleeping in the corner with Yulissa laying her head on his lap. MacGim snored softly in a chair near the door. Laura left when the night nurse barged in. Luckily she let the rest stay after James told her he could see again. **

"**What did he say?" Lewis moaned when he spoke too loud.**

"**They're move me to rehab tomorrow," he happily announced. "I'll be there for about two weeks. Then I get to go HOME!"**

"**SSSHHHH," MacGim reminded him to keep his voice down.**

**Whispering he leaned close to Lewis, "I want some real food. Can you smuggle a burger in here?" **

"**Only if you eat if quietly," MacGim answered for Lewis.**

"**Yes," James cheered. Mindy barked loudly causing the hungover men to moan. "Make that two burgers."**

"**I'm beginning to like you better when you were quietly sulking," Lewis quipped. **

**James was not listening. He was dreaming about the juicy burger and more. "A candy bar! Yeah, can you get me a Yorkie," he asked. "And please try to sneak in a pint." Moans erupted from the men and pillows flew toward James.**

**-l-l-l-**

Author Notes:

I hope you enjoyed my first attempt at writing Lewis Fanfiction. I'm sorry the story was so long in length and in the time for me to finish. If you have time, please review the story.

My little knowledge of UK police procedures I've learned from reading, searching the internet and watching shows like: Midsomer Murders, Morse, Lewis, Foyle's War, The Sweeny and Thin Blue Line.

My medical and rescue knowledge are like my knowledge of police procedures. I've learned from reading, searching the net and watching shows like: House, ER and Emergency

A few interesting facts –

RAF Shellingford:

In the story I had James trapped at an old airfield. This airfield really existed, it was RAF Shellingford near the town of Faringdon in Oxfordshire. It was a WWII flying training base from 1931 to 1948. You can search on Wikipedia for more information about the historical base.

Mindy:

In the story Mindy is a rescued dog from Afghanistan. Many of the soldiers have rescued stray and abused dogs and cats while deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. To bring these loving pets to the states and the UK cost a lot of money. With the help of rescue groups like Nowzad and Puppy Rescue Mission soldiers are able to give forever home to their four-legged companions. Please go to Facebook and search Nowzad and Puppy Rescue Mission and read these heart warming stories about the rescues they have done.

Cherwell Boat House:

Cherwell Boat House is a real restaurant in Oxford. The pictures of Cherwell Boat House reminds me of a scene in the Lewis episode: Point Of Vanishing.

Google Maps UK:

I used Google Maps UK for research while writing this story. You can search the maps and see the streets that I wrote about. I enjoyed hours trying to find the right house for James.

I chose Cherwell Street because I needed a house with some woods nearby and a river.


End file.
